ORATIONS AND POETRY, 



MORAL AND RELIGIOUS SUBJECTS. 



BY ROSWELL RICE, EPC^., 
North White Creek, Washington County, N. Y. 



ALBANY 

rniNTED BY C. VAN BENTHUTSE.V 

1858. 



i^"^^"! o 

'^^s^ 






f'ntercd according to act of Congress, in the Clerk's fifSce 

>^ the Northern District of New-York, 

By RoswELL Rice. Esq. 



INTRODUCTION. 



I was born in the year 1803, in the town of White- 
Creek, Washington county, New-York, in which 
place I have resided ever since. My parents were 
born in the state of Connecticut, and emigrated in 
early life to the place of my nativity. From the days 
of my infancy, much of my pilgrimage has been a 
scene of suffering. When about a year old my life 
was despaired of, and I was to all appearance near 
the grave ; but God said " Live," and I was restor- 
ed to health. Again I was stricken with disease at 
the age of eight years ; delirium seized my brain, 
and the night of death seemed to be just before me ; 
but God in his abundant mercy rebuked the disease. 
By the imprudence of youthful ambition, when about 
fifteen years of age, I struck the fatal blow, which 
gave me a wound nature's sweet restorer can never 
heal. Then earthly bliss expired — the diadem of 
youth passed away, and the doleful scourge bound 
me in the gloom of night. The pains of an injured 
body and a vile heart weighed down my spirit, and 
the shroud of moral darkness spread over me ; for I 
had trespassed on the laws of my physical constitu- 
tion, and the consequences were and must be sure. 
While I meditated on my sad condition, I could 
neither enjoy earth or heav^en. 

My mother, (now resting in the sepulchre) was a 
friend to her children, her Savior, and God. Her 
religious instructions in my early days, often aroused 
my memory, and the consciousness of my situation, 
and the necessity of a Savior, induced me to seek 
the salvation of my soul, and lay up my treasure in 
God. I met my Savior in Gethsemane, where he 



* INTRODUCTION. 

sweat blood for sinners, and to the foot of Mount 
Calvary, where he redeemed my soul. Here the 
strong chord which had bound sin as a heavy burden 
upon me, broke in sunder, and the mountain of guilt 
that pressed heavily on my soul, was washed away 
by the crimson stream that stained the brow of Cal- 
vary. My heart melted as I felt the love of Jesus, 
and my soul rejoiced in God my Savior. 

My frame was gradually sinking under the stroke 
I had brought upon it, and to all appearance I was 
soon to sleep in death. The physicians pronounced 
my disease mortal, and the direful sensations caused 
by the organic affection near the seat of life, con- 
firmed their opinion, in my estimation, with more 
than tenfold sanction. I had taken my farewell of 
the world, and made up my mind to die. My phy- 
sical constitution was sinking under its intolerable 
load ; sudden paroxysms seized me, under the in- 
fluence of which the tide of blood turned purple, 
caused by some obstruction in the aorta, the direful 
sensations of which indicated sudden dissolution. 
That dismal scene, which threatened with all the 
horrors of death, I shall never be able to describe 
to my reader — the like of which, may God prevent 
ever thwarting his pathway. After being confined 
to my bed for more than a year, my disease gradu- 
ally gave way to the restoring efficacy of my con- 
stitution, and at the expiration of five years my 
health was in part restored, so that I have been most 
of the time since able to attend to some of the easy 
avocations of life for a livelihood ; yet I am still af- 
flicted with the same disease, and never while in 
the body shall I enjoy good health again. Here 
lost hope rides forth in gloomy prospect, and weans 
the soul from all earth's fading flowers. 

When in the midst of my affliction, my mother 
(one of the kindest of w^omen) watched my couch, 
and gave me all the consolation maternal kindness 
could impart. To her it must have been a tiresome 



INTRODUCTION. O 

scene ; but patience performed its office to the last 
request. My elder sister also lent her aid in time 
of danger, and in the tenderness of her heart often 
administered to my necessities. All my relatives 
exhibited their kindness, and labored abundantly for 
my temporal welfare. Through my sore and linger- 
ing illness, I had no disposition to repine, but placed 
my confidence in God, who had power to wound and 
heal, to kill and make alive. Since that time He 
has blest my basket and my store, and often im- 
parted the riches of his grace to my soul. 

I have written the following work, not for earthly 
gain, but for the temporal and eternal welfare of 
manldnd. The infidel may insult his only Benefac- 
tor by denying his existence, but my soul shall give 
honor to the Creator and Preserver of all worlds ; 
who has sustained me to this present moment, and 
will be my shield and defence in being eternal fu- 
ture. And to God my heavenly Father, Christ my 
only Savior, and the Holy Ghost my Sanctifier, one 
triune Deity, I will ascribe all praise, dominion and 
power, henceforth forever ! Whose favor I sincerely 
implore to accompany this volume I am preparing 
for the inspection of the world ! may it melt the 
frozen heart, and lead the poor wandering sinner to 
repentance, hope, and Heaven ! console the Chris- 
tian ! stir up the lukewarm professor, and lead him 
to the Rock of his salvation. 



ORATION I. 
ON INTEMPERANCE. 

'• Drunkards shall not inherit the kingdom of God..^'— Corinthians vi 10. 



Man, ever since his fall in the garden of Eden, 
has been inspired with a spirit of deviation from 
righteousness, which often increases his misery. 
His imaginations are only evil continually — laying 
structures of wretchedness and wo f and hewing out 
vessels that can hold no water. Such is his digres- 
sion from the requirements of God, that he is a stran- 
ger to virtue, and lies buried in the open field of his 
pollution. But among all his wicked inventions, 
King Alcohol is the topmost stone. 

This Monster of Death, in his various forms, has 
marked our Union with blood and tears — has spread 
his wings far and wide — has poisoned even unto 
death America's sons, and hurried them on to the 
drunkard's grave. But unwilling to stop here in his 
march of wo, he has made his slaughter universal, 
and scarce a continent, or island on the globe, but 
has felt the direful influence, and more or less have 
fallen victims to this Juggernaut wheel of death. 
Such has been the reign of this mighty Tyrant, that 
many of the brightest stars have fallen from their 
high stations, and been transmitted to the grave of 
oblivion — their light forever eclipsed, and their utility 
lost to the world. Such has been the devastation 
of this baneful enemy, that he has laid prostrate all 
ranks of society, and converted millions upon mil- 
lions to the baneful practice of inebriation ; and 
ingulfed them in the perdition of one common 
grave. 



ON INTEMPERANCE. 7 

But from whence came this black cloud of wit- 
nesses ? From what ranks arose this mighty army 
of inebriates ? They were made from the society of 
sober mea. Man was never born a drunkard. When 
he was created by the finger of God, he bore a bet- 
ter stamp, and possessed the pure features of man. 
His red eyes and bloated face, have been gradually 
manufactured by the evil practice of drinking rum. 
At first the captive took small portions of the bane ; 
but long habits increased the draughts, until at length 
he became established in his course, and fell a sad 
victim to his enemy. This is the way in which so 
many fall a prey to Alcohol, and make shipwreck 
of their better part, on the rocks of perdition. If 
this be true, it becomes every man to guard against 
this deadly foe. 

How often have we seen men possessing abun- 
dance of the affluence of this world — in good stand- 
ing in society — enjoying life, and permitting their 
wives and children to enjoy the same blessing ; 
every thing appeared prosperous around them ; and 
their anticipation of future glory in this life was as 
clear as the limpid stream. The welfare of these 
individuals had not yet been buried by Intemper- 
ance. But soon they began to tamper with the spark- 
ling bowl; and its deadly poison, like mortal canker, 
preyed upon their constitutions. The strong man 
became palsied ; and began to reel to and fro under 
the influence of the scourging waves. Their frail 
barks were now tossing on the tempestuous sea of 
life — at last their vessels sprung leak, and foundered 
in liquid flames. But they did not fall alone. If 
so, their case had been more tolerable. But the 
wailings of their wives and children were heard 
after their departure ; for all the legacy they left 
them was extreme poverty and disgrace. This is 
the curse which follows the bacchanalian through 
all his meanderings in life, doAvn to his gloomy sep- 
ulchre. This is the sin that swells the groans of 



8 rice's orations. 

his offspring ; and long tells their woes by his re- 
cords of infamy. 

The sweet boon of life that stands higher in the 
estimation of man than any other gift bestowed, is 
often taken away ere its meridian glory, by the early 
habits of Intemperance. That eye which spaj^kled 
with youthful lustre, has lost all its brilliant splen- 
dor ! That lovely brow on which sat the diadem 
of youth, has been struck with untimely mildew. 
The whole visage which once bore the beauties of 
sanity, has become bloated and lost its healthy ap- 
pearance. The constitutional powers of man have 
been wrecked on this tempestuous sea of life, and 
bear the prognostication of soon finding a watery 
grave. Thus King Alcohol proves himself to be a 
baneful enemy, and has often destroyed both soul 
and body in hell. This is the rock, on which thou- 
sands split ; and their frail barks plunge the awful 
cataract of death, never to rise again. 

But the losses by Intemperance do not end here ; 
for they are almost supernumerary, and past the de- 
scription of man. But this one thing we know, that 
however bright the talent of genius may be — how- 
ever luminous the lamp may shine in the pure atmos- 
phere of reason ; yet if the cloud of this mortal ene- 
my shall rest upon it, there shall be no breaking of 
the thick darkness ; but a long, dreary night shall 
set in upon the unhappy captive forever. Whoso- 
ever is overcome by this poisonous enemy, loses all 
things. His time to him becomes of no estimation ; 
his character is stamped with disgrace ; his confed- 
erates are the ofFscouring of all things ; and his 
beastly appearance shuts the gate of mercy, and 
staggers the commiseration of man. Such are the 
imprecations upon him, such his degradation in the 
society he lives. The element in which he moves 
is poisoned by his noxious breath ; and he spreads 
malignant contagion, wheresoever he leaves his 
meandering vestige. Although this deformed being 



ON INTEMPERANCE. 9 

is enough to make human nature shudder, and is 
depriv^ed of all form of comeliness ; yet man by na- 
ture is so involved in the mire of sin, that he often 
catches the same infamous spirit — enlists in the same 
ranks — fights the same battles of iniquity, and 
marches onward to the same grave. This tells the 
woes of man's gloomy history, and proves God's sa- 
cred volume true. 

Men and women were designed by their Creator 
to be helpmates for each other, and increase their 
happiness through life's dreary pilgrimage. Woman, 
the fairest gem that ever graced the brow of man — 
the fairest boon that ever nature's God imparted to 
solace him as he passes through this waste howling 
wilderness, fraught with disappointments, sickness 
and death. This rich jewel should be esteemed by 
him to possess infinite value, and be the mainspring 
of his happiness while on earth. But oh ! how 
changed ? What frantic inversion of this gift of 
God to man ? When an individual is under the 
influence of strong drink, he loses his natural affec- 
tions ; his mind becomes insane and revengeful — - 
he exchanges his noble powers for those of the fero- 
cious Tiger ; and darts with the fury of a madman 
on his innocent prey. His beloved companion, 
whose heart has often been broken in ten thousand 
pieces, receives again the lash of his anger, and the 
doleful execrations that fall from his polluted lips. 
She is truly a woman of sorrow, and always acquaint- 
ed with grief. The tears which have for years run 
down her cheeks, have left their furrowed channel, 
and vindicate without contradiction her long and 
gloomy sufferings. She little expects relief until the 
monster of iniquity is removed by death. Then the 
hand that often beat her, shall be cold and lifeless ; 
that heart which rose to anger, shall palpitate no 
more ; that tongue which uttered imprecations against 
her, shall be palsied by the embrace of death ; 



10 rice's orations. 

and all his ill-treatment shall be terminated for- 
ever. 

But the wife of his bosom is not the only sufferer. 
Those children of his own body have shared in his 
ruin. Often have they waited his return from the 
tavern or grog-shop with trembling. As he entered 
his dwelling they would cling around their mother 
for protection, so if possible they might evade his 
cruel treatment and shield themselves from the in- 
human lashes of their father's anger. But they often 
sought refuge in vain ; for he pursued them through 
every lane of retreat, and seldom missed his track 
until he had satiated his infernal malice on these 
little innocents of his own body. In whatever place 
he lived he possessed the spirit of a demon ; and 
proved to be an enemy to himself and also to his 
fellow man. 

Perhaps I shall not digress, if I here mention the 
circumstances of a criminal on the scaffold of death. 
He was in the days of his youth, and the meridian 
of life he never saw. The crime that caused his 
early exit, was the murder of his bosom friend — that 
innocent female, which he once promised in the 
presence of angels and men, to befriend through 
life. But he broke his vow, and butchered the dear- 
est friend he had on earth. While under the influ- 
ence of the liquid poison, in an unguarded moment, 
when all his humane feelings forsook him, his pas- 
sions were raised to the highest point of madness — 
he basely drew the poniard of death and pierced her 
heart. Then hung the sword of vengeance over his 
guilty head ! Then the howling winds caught the 
mournful elegy, and bore it to the four quarters of 
the globe, while the demon of eternal night swiftly 
winged his way to bear the news to the regions of 
the damned, that the servant of King Alcohol had 
been valiant in the work of death ! This cruel 
murderer was taught by his parents in early life to 
partake of the noxious cup, until he was captivated 



ON INTEMPERANCE. IJ 

by its influence. He exclaimed in the last moments 
of his life, " It was the influence of strong drink 
that brought me to this place of execution." And 
after admonishing the vast multitude around him to 
flee from it as they would from their greatest enemy, 
he gave himself up to the executioner, and imme- 
diately expired. 

In almost every case, capital crimes are commit- 
ted by those who are under the influence of strong 
drink. It has a tendency to drive away fear and 
induces man to perpetrate deeds of the blackest 
dye, such as would make him shudder in his sober 
moments, and marvel to think, how he could have 
been the vile perpetrator. I presume that nine- 
tenths of those criminals which now throng the pri- 
sons of our United States, have riveted their chains 
while under the influence of intoxication. Our coun- 
ty houses of pauperism, and jails for criminals, 
would be like the comet's long absence ; and the 
voice of sedition seldom be used, if this bane of 
man could be transmitted to oblivion's grave. The 
riots in our streets, would seldom break in upon the 
peace of man. Those unnecessary factions, that so 
often draw wealth from our citizens, would be few 
and far between. Our cities and hamlets would be 
left tranquil; and instead of the imprecations of 
wicked inebriates, peace and rejoicing would swell 
the temperance song, and niessengers of mercy would 
bear the news to earth's remotest bounds : " The 
dead are alive, the lost are found." 

The unmarried females in the cause of tempe- 
rance, are most powerful in operation. It is for them 
to say how long the scourge shall remain ; and when 
the proud waves of Intemperance shall be stayed. 
There are very few women in comparison to men, 
who have formed habits of intoxication ; therefore 
for them there is no cross in total abstinence. And 
when we consider the powerful influence they have 
over thp male population, we are led to believe that 



12 rice's orations. 

m them is tlie remedy of healing this baneful diii-- 
ease. But how shall the operation begin i Let 
every young lady shun the company of every young 
man, who does not belong to the tee-total pledge. 
Let her look well to this matter, that she be not de- 
ceived, that the hypocrisy of man does not blast her 
comfort in future life, and wound that heart which 
is worthy of a sober man. And if after having 
obtained a knowledge of the individual, he has been 
found to break the pledge, or has never signed it, 
then put thy veto upon him, and receive his com- 
pany no more until he becomes a temperate man. 
If this were the practice by all the young ladies, in 
a very few years there would scarcely be a drunkard 
on the gbbe. This practice would doubtless save 
oceans of tears, and dry up the fountain of iniquity 
that has long swelled the woes of the human race. 

It is a mournful truth, that we have so many 
among us who manufacture drunkards, who for a 
Httle paltry gain, will administer potions of intoxi- 
cation to their fellow men, -which are as sure to 
make inebriates as the river is to find its way to the 
ocean. Notwithstanding all the entreaties of the 
heart-broken wife, the groans and wailings of her 
suffering children, the poverty and privations under 
which they mourn, and the beastly appearance of 
him who staggers to and fro in the streets, these 
dealers in Alcohol will yet, for the love of gold, sell 
to their brethren the baneful Upas tree, and keep 
up the stool-pigeons of mortal attraction, that they 
may destroy the unwary, and feast on the purchase 
of their blood. But their recompense is yet to come. 

The most horrible appearance of the drunkard on 
earth, is when he is under the influence of Delirium 
Tremens. Here his woes are indescribable, and his 
misery passes all bounds of human understanding ! 
The flood-gates of inebriation, that have for many 
years broken in upon his constitution, seem now to 
be concentrated in one general flood of sufferings 



ON INTEMPERANCE. 13 

and pierce his soul and body, with horrors not to be 
repeated, or ever forgotten ! As much of hell as is 
possible for man to experience on earth, has inspired 
his bosom ; for his frantic imaginations are intolera- 
ble beyond conception ; and the thoughts of his 
wounded spirit no tongue can tell ! His forebodings 
of sorrow have stung his deathless soul, and pierced 
him with barbed arrows, drawn from the quiver of 
the Eternal. How often does the sufferer under 
this most wretched disease, have a foretaste of his 
future destiny — believes that devils are forcing him 
away to the lake of fire — that the pit of awful per- 
dition expands its fiery jaws to receive him, and the 
thunder bolts of God pour forth their cargoes of 
death before he is borne away by demons to the 
" blackness of darkness forever." The veil of the 
eternal pit seems to him withdrawn ; and he beholds 
his destiny, ere he plunges his second death ! This 
mournful sight melts the hardest heart, and draws 
tears from eyes that seldom weep. 

The drunkard's course is gloomy in the extreme. 
He plunges himself into the pollution of the gutter — 
he gives himself up to all the propensities of a wick- 
ed heart — he is unconscious of to-morrow ; yet wails 
his sufferings in the gall of bitterness, and increases 
his strong bonds of iniquity. At first he has no 
expectation of being captivated by the flowing bowl, 
but increases the draught until he is overcome by 
its alluring charms. His unlawful appetite and vo- 
luntary passions yield themselves up to the dominion 
of this cruel Monster, in spite of all the warnings 
and admonitions of scripture, the remorse of con- 
science, the tears and agonies of friends, the loss of 
health, the swift approach of poverty, the prognostic 
of death, and the prelibation of the ruins of hell ! 

Let us now behold for a moment what friendship 
is broken by Intemperance ! what veneration lost ! 
How often has strong drink exterminated connubial 
friendship, and excluded the strong union of pater- 



14 rice's orations. 

nal love ? How many husbands, who once exhibit- 
ed the tenderest affection for their wives, have re- 
versed it for inebriation ? How many wives, once 
pleasing and well beloved, have changed the bright- 
ness of their persons and their characters into shame 
and disgrace, brought ruin to their doors, and set 
forth to their children the crimsoned laws of sin ? 
How many children, once dutiful and pleasing, have, 
by frequent participation of strong drink, lost all 
affection to their parents, and become a nuisance to 
society ? To compute the v/hole in one short sen- 
tence — those who are under the influence of strong 
drink — the husband is turned into a brute, the wife 
a serpent, the parent a monster of iniquity, the friend 
an enemy of holiness, and the child a son to be 
lost. 

With what regret do we see the most refined cha- 
racters, talents, and strong powers, destroyed by 
this abortive ruin ? How dismal, to view the ex- 
panded buds of genius blasted by the fatal energy 
of intoxication ! But, alas ! too often are such in- 
stances displayed in their darkest colors. Men of 
the brightest talents and most cunning genius, pos- 
sessing the highest ranks in society, have fallen 
from their stations, and been reduced to fanaticism 
and penury. 

I have seen the most athletic constitution brought 
to imbecility. I have seen more than one promising 
youth, whose behavior bid fair for usefulness to so- 
ciety, ensnared by this insidious enemy, and become 
a most insignificant profligate. Those eyes that once 
sparkled with all the beauty and vigor of youth, had 
lost their brilliant splendor. The mind, naturally 
quick and active, had lost its lively tone. The mem- 
ory, once strong, had become wavering and deceit- 
ful ; and all the shoots of genius were rapidly pining 
away. At length the youth descended into the low- 
est depths of inebriation, and lost his morality for- 
ever. 



ON INTEMPERANCE. 15 

When I meditate on such instances as have been 
related ; when I think of the vast number of supe- 
rior minds that have been destroyed by Intemper- 
ance ; I canaot but compare them with ancient Jeru- 
salem, now trodden under foot of men. As I sur- 
veyed, I beheld the magnificent Temple, once the 
beauty of the world — her foundatio'is woe sljakcii, 
and not one stone left upon aooLhev iinji>oved. Her 
pillars of architectural grandeur wece destroyed, 
according to prediction ; her veil was rent, and all 
her magnificent beauty fell into abolition. Such 
is the temple of man, when subdued by his deadly 
foe. 

The drunkard's career is on the broad road to 
ruin. The stream in which he firsts embarks may 
appear small and but little dangerous ; yet it emp- 
ties into a boundless ocean, and conv@3rs her vo- 
taries to the wailings of the second death ! The 
intemperate are seldom reclaimed. Their condi- 
tion is almost hopeless ; for when they begin their 
voyage, they seldom cease, until they launch in- 
to the dark profundity obscure, from whence no 
traveller returns. Their consciences are seared 
with perfect inveteracy; they bid defiance to all 
men, although admonished with deepest commisera- 
tion and sensitive gratitude. They are governed by 
an enemy that knows of no condescension ; who is 
fettering them stronger and stronger to that hold, 
which shall prove a baseless fabric, sinking beneath 
her builders, and leave them as fuel for that flame 
of wrath which survives the dissolution of worlds, 
and is perpetuated by the vengeance of an angry 
Deity. 

Intemperance appears to be one of the greatest 
evils at the present day practiced by man. It is a 
lamentable scourge, that presides over millions of 
the human race. It is without controversy the great 
destroyer of multitudes of Adam's progeny, and 
brings upon them untimely sufferings and death 



16 eice's orations. 

Flying from the useful state of morality in society,, 
they become biased to bacchanalian excess andt 
debauchery, proving themselves enemies to peace; 
and piety, and are manacled in grossest iniquity. 

Methinks the w itched man is glorying in- h 
shame, at some freqaented tavern or grog-shop, while 
his helpless children are exclaiming within the walls ; 
of the inclement tenement, "Oh! that we had at] 
morsel of bread to prevent our suffering with hun-' 
ger, and satiate our keen appetite, made by the cruel I 
treatment of a father." But their cries prove ini 
vain. He has become hard as an adamant, and 
stems the torrent of oppression, without parental 
sympathy for the suffering children of his own body. 
What can be compared with Intemperance ? It is , 
like some mighty vortex of the ocean, that draws : 
ships nearer and nearer its centre, until they sink 
beneath the surface of the blue waves, and are lost 
in the mighty deep below. And will not the drunk- 
ard take warning, until he is buried in the whirl- 
pool of destruction, where liquids are plenty, and 
darkness presides ; in which if the abandoned soul 
shall enter, there shall be no hope of her exemption 
forever. 

We may suppose that Intemperance is a sin, which 
exasperates a holy God, to great indignation against 
the vile offender. He who suffers intoxication to de- 
stroy both soul and body, must absorb himself in the 
deepest ruins of the fall of man. Yes, the partici- 
pation of that cup, which imparts sensual glee, will 
add fuel to that fire which never shall be extinguish- 
ed ; it will greatly enhance the corrosive guilt of that 
worm which never dies. 

Let me now describe the object of a father's com- 
miseration and a mother's tears. He is their only 
son — the staff they expect to lean upon in the de- 
cline of life. But their hopes are soon blasted ; for 
the pillars of his clay tenement begin to tremble ; 
the prevailing excess of intoxication is demolishing 



ON INTEMPEKANCE. 13 

and pierce his soul and body, with horrors not to be 
repeated, or ever forgotten ! As much of hell as is 
possible for man to experience on earth, has inspired 
his bosom ; for his frantic imaginations are intolera- 
ible" beyond conception; and ^ the thoughts of his 
wounded spirit no tongue can 'fell ! His forebodings 
of sorrow have stung his deathless soul, and pierced 
him with barbed arrows, drawn from the quiver of 
the Eternal. How often does the sufferer under 
this most wretched disease, have a foretaste of his 
future destiny — believes that devils are forcing him 
away to the lake of fire — that the pit of awful per- 
dition expands its fiery jaws to receive him, and the 
thunder bolts of God pour forth their cargoes of 
death before he is borne away by demons to the 
" blackness of darkness forever." The veil of the 
eternal pit seems to him withdrawn ; and he beholds 
his destiny, ere he plunges his second death ! This 
mournful sight melts the hardest heart, and draws 
tears from eyes that seldom weep. 

The drunkard's course is gloomy in the extreme. 
He plunges himself into the pollution of the gutter — 
he gives himself up to all the propensities of a wick- 
ed heart — he is unconscious of to-morrow ; yet wails 
his sufferings in the gall of bitterness, and increases 
his strong bonds, of iniquity. At first he has no 
expectation of being captivated by the flowing bowl, 
but increases the draught until he is overcome by 
its alluring charms. His unlawful appetite and vo- 
luntary passions yield themselves up to the dominion 
of this cruel Monster, in spite of all the warnings 
and admonitions of scripture, the remorse of con- 
science, the tears and agonies of friends, the loss of 
health, the swift approach of poverty, the prognostic 
of death, and the prelibation of the ruins of hell ! 

Let us now behold for a moment what friendship 
is broken by Intemperance ! what veneration lost ! 
How often has strong drink exterminated connubial 
friendship, and excluded the strong union of pater- 



14 rice's orations. 

nal love ? How many husbands, who once exhibit- 
ed the tenderest affection for their wives, have re- 
versed it for inebriation ? How many wives, once 
pleasing and well beloved, have changed the bright- 
ness of their persons and their characters into shame 
and disgrace, brought ruin to their doors, and set 
forth to their children the crimsoned laws of sin ? 
How many children, once dutiful and pleasing, have, 
by frequent participation of strong drink, lost all 
affection to their parents, and become a nuisance to 
society ? To compute the v/hole in one short sen- 
tence — those who are under the influence of strong 
drink — the husband is turned into a brute, the wife 
a serpent, the parent a monster of iniquity, the friend 
an enemy of holiness, and the child a son to be 
lost. 

With what regret do we see the most refined cha- 
racters, talents, and strong powers, destroyed by 
this abortive ruin ? How dismal, to view the ex- 
panded buds of genius blasted by the fatal energy 
of intoxication ! But, alas ! too often are such in- 
stances displayed in their darkest colors. Men of 
the brightest talents and most cunning genius, pos- 
sessing the highest ranks in society, have fallen 
from their stations, and been reduced to fanaticism 
and penury. 

I have seen the most athletic constitution brought 
to imbecility. I have seen more than one promising 
youth, whose behavior bid fair for usefulness to so- 
ciety, ensnared by this insidious enemy, and become 
a most insignificant profligate. Those eyes that once 
sparkled with all the beauty and vigor of youth, had 
lost their brilliant splendor. The mind, naturally 
quick and active, had lost its lively tone. The mem- 
ory, once strong, had become wavering and deceit- 
ful ; and all the shoots of genius were rapidly pining 
away. At length the youth descended into the low- 
est depths of inebriation, and lost his morality for- 
ever. 



ON INTEMPERANCE. 15 

When I meditate on such instances as have been 
related ; when I think of the vast number of supe- 
rior minds that have been destroyed by Intemper- 
ance ; I cannot but compare them with ancient Jeru- 
salem, now trodden under foot of men. As I sur- 
veyed, I beheld the magnificent Temple, once the 
beauty of the world — her foundations were shaken, 
and not one stone left upon another unmoved. Her 
pillars of architectural grandeur were destroyed, 
according to prediction ; her veil was rent, and all 
her magnificent beauty fell into abolition. Such 
is the temple of man, when subdued by his deadly 
foe. 

The drunkard's career is on the broad road to 
ruin. The stream in which he firsts embarks may 
appear small and but little dangerous ; yet it emp- 
ties into a boundless ocean, and conveys her vo- 
taries to the wailings of the second death ! The 
intemperate are seldom reclaimed. Their condi- 
tion is almost hopeless ; for when they begin their 
voyage, they seldom cease, until they launch in- 
to the dark profundity obsrure, from whence no 
traveller returns. Their consciences are seared 
with perfect inveteracy; they bid defiance to all 
men, although admonished with deepest commisera- 
tion and sensitive gratitude. They are governed by 
an enemy that knows of no condescension ; who is 
fettering them stronger and stronger to that hold, 
which shall prove a baseless fabric, sinking beneath 
her builders, and leave them as fuel for that flame 
of wrath which survives the dissolution of worlds, 
and is perpetuated by the vengeance of an angry 
Deity. 

Intemperance appears to be one of the greatest 
evils at the present day practiced by man. It is a 
lamentable scourge, that presides over millions of 
the human race. It is without controversy the great 
destroyer of multitudes of Adam's progeny, and 
brings upon them untimely sufferings and death 



16 rice's orations. 

Flying from the useful state of morality in society, 
they become biased to bacchanalian excess and 
debauchery, proving themselves enemies to peace 
and piety, and are manacled in grossest iniquity. 

Methinks the wretched man is glorying in his 
shame, at some frequented tavern or grog-shop, v^^hile 
his helpless children are exclaiming within the walls 
of the inclement tenement, " Oh ! that we had a 
morsel of bread to prevent our suffering with hun- 
ger, and satiate our keen appetite, made by the cruel 
treatment of a father." But their cries prove in 
vain. He has become hard as an adamant, and 
stems the torrent of oppression, without parental 
sympathy for the suffering children of his own body. 
What can be compared with Intemperance ? It is 
like some mighty vortex of the ocean, that draws 
ships nearer and nearer its centre, until they sink 
beneath the surface of the blue waves, and are lost 
in the mighty deep below. And will not the drunk- 
ard take warning, until he is buried in the whirl- 
pool of destruction, where liquids are plenty, and 
darkness presides ; in which if the abandoned soul 
shall enter, there shall be no hope of her exemption 
forever. 

We may suppose that Intemperance is a sin, which 
exasperates a holy God, to great indignation against 
the vile offender. He who suffers intoxication to de- 
stroy both soul and bod}^, must absorb himself in the 
deepest ruins of the fall of man. Yes, the partici- 
pation of that cup, which imparts sensual glee, will 
add fuel to that fire which never shall be extinguish- 
ed ; it will greatly enhance the corrosive guilt of that 
worm which never dies. 

Let me now describe the object of a father's com- 
miseration and a mother's tears. He is their only 
son — the staff they expect to lean upon in the de- 
cline of life. But their hopes are soon blasted ; for 
the pillars of his clay tenement begin to tremble ; 
the prevailing excess of intoxication is demolishing 



ON INTEMPERANCE. 17 

the powers of his constitution, and swiftly accele- 
rates the abolition of human life. He dies as he 
lived. The sorrow of his mother is too big for ut- 
terance ! Gladly would she pour it forth in tears, 
but cannot ! Even tears refuse to give relief. His 
father, vibrating in agony, is impending over his 
grave ; his bosom heaves at the heart-rending catas- 
trophe ; and he exclaims, " O my son ! my son ! thou 
hast made shipwreck of all thy nobler powers on 
earth ; and to render thy case doubly dreadful, thou 
hast exposed thy deathless spirit to the vengeance 
of God, and sealed thy undying woes in the world 
to come !" Thus ends his mournful history. Thus 
he commences his eternal existence. 

Much has been done on the part of God for the 
drunkard. The commiseration of Heaven has been 
ample beyond description on his behalf. The an- 
gelic hosts have desired his emancipation from his 
awful curse. His case was so deplorable in the 
depths of mire and pollution, that for him, his only 
Savior cast off His diadem of glory — left the song of 
angels — the golden streets of the New Jerusalem— 
the ambrosial realm of God and seraphim, and the 
harps and celestial armies of the upper world, that 
he might redeem the drunkard from death, and place 
his sliding feet on the rock of God. Among all the 
heavenly hosts there was none that could redeem his 
soul and restore to him his lost Eden. None but the 
Father's only Son, by treading the winepress of the 
wrath of God, and dipping his vesture in his own 
blood, could make the reconciliation between God 
and the drunkard's soul. From the throne of a King 
in Heaven, I see his plunge, while the sapphire vault 
spreads wide to make way for his glorious personage 
as he journeys to the abode of man. Angels attend 
him in adoration as he appears in the form of the 
Babe of Bethlehem — cradled in a manger. They 
sung to his eternal honor, while shepherds caught 
the sacred song, and hastened on their way to wor- 
2 



18 rice's orations. 

ship the new born Stranger. They beheld him with 
the smile of Heaven on his brow — the rich forebo- 
ding of free salvation. Wonder, O my soul ! and 
be astonished, O earth ! at this boundless love of 
God to man. 

At this exhibition of our Savior, the devil stood 
afar off in his black domain, and howled with the 
fury of an insulted king — suffused his baleful eyes 
in scalding tears, and mourned exceedingly that 
Adam's lost race had found hope in God. That it 
was possible for man to be washed from his pollu- 
tion by the blood of atonement, and be made a fit 
subject for the fair climes above. That the vile 
inebriate, through repentance and reform, has a 
Friend able to bear him up above the waves of lost 
spirits, and place his feet on the fair banks beyond 
Jordan. Well might the prince of devils be con- 
founded at the redemption of lost man. 

But if the drunkard is determined to persist in 
his wicked course until he destroys both soul and 
body in hell, to accomplish his design he must wade 
through tears and blood. The Savior's agony and 
sweat endured in the garden of Gethsemane, invite 
him to the Well of Life. That prayer from Cal- 
vary, put up in the chancery of the courts of God, 
should woo his soul to embrace the Gospel. That 
sacred stream which flowed from the Redeemer's 
side, as he was transfixed on the cursed tree, should 
induce him to lay up his treasure in God. The dis- 
play of the Almighty's power when his Son gave 
up the ghost on the cross, should warn him to flee 
from the wrath to come ; ere the gate of mercy shall 
be closed forever, and the chains of lost hope bind 
him fast in the prison-house of death. Then a great 
ransom cannot redeem him. 

The man that persists in the course of inebriation 
until his life terminates, loses Heaven. The song 
of the redeemed shall never salute his ear. The 
feast of God's anointed shall never satiate his ap 



ON INTEMPERANCE. 19 

■petite for bliss. The pure waters of the River of 
Life shall not slake his thirst ; for the fountain of 
mercy is withdrawn, and to him this precious gift 
shall be offered no more. All the beauties of Hea- 
ven and the sublime grandeur of the upper sanc- 
tuary are lost to the drunkard by his treason against 
God. When the riches of eternal salvation were 
freely offered through the intercession of the Savior, 
he could spurn the tide of mercy which caused Hea- 
ven to bleed from every pore. The Friend of sin- 
ners has given up his mediatorial seat, and the day 
of mercy is passed away. The barren fig tree shall 
no longer live by his lenient prayer ; for the voice 
of justice cries cut it down, why cumbereth it the 
ground ? The drunkard's loss has now become irre- 
vocable, and the vials of God's wrath set in upon 
him forever. We must now leave him under the 
awful denunciation of an inspired apostle, who de- 
clares, " The drunkard shall not inherit the king- 
dom of God." 

But to those on the shores of time there is one 
admonition more. The voice of mercy yet invites 
them to the Well of Life. The Savior's outstretch- 
ed arms of love yet plead in their behalf; and all that 
we can draw from the three worlds, Heaven, earth, 
and hell, conspire to induce the drunkard to flee the 
wrath of God, and scale those angelic mountains in 
the far off land of rest. To those who sleep in 
death, we have no exhortation — no sympathetic 
prayer, for they have crossed the isthmus and gone 
beyond our hope. But our prayer is for those who 
live — for those who have not made their bed in 
eternal sorrows — whose stakes are not yet immuta- 
bly thrown, nor their dies for eternity cast. Such 
are the subjects of our tears; and for such, Jesus 
groaned, bled and died ; and while the lamp of life 
is yet burning, the inebriate may urge his suit, 
change his course, and press into the kingdom of 
Heaven. 



20 rice's orations. 

Seed time and harvest shall come and pass away. 
The hill and the valley shall smile with the luxu- 
ries of man. The cargoes of emporium shall float 
on the blue waves, and waft along the shores of the 
sublime highlands. The bells of minarets and bas- 
tions shall chime the midnight peal. The drunken 
revelries shall increase the history of death ; and 
the baneful Upas tree shall spread over all lands. 
The retreats of pollution, where King Alcohol waves 
his banner, shall swell the dirge of woe. The sound 
of the harp and viol shall chant the passions of 
5^outh ; and the chandeliers of theatres, like terres- 
trial suns, shall deceive the unwary traveller. The 
card and the throw of the dice, where souls are- 
stamped for eternity, shall tell man's future history. 
The army of inebriates shall increase, ere they 
plunge the Jordan of death, to wait the resurrection 
fires and the direful woes of the final judgment. 
In all these scenes of pollution, man seems silent, 
as if at death, he closed his eyes in eternal sleep. 
But suddenly the voice of the archangel splits the 
sapphire vault above, and comes trumping down 
the eternal avenue with a mighty clangor, such as 
the world never knew. At the piercing sound of 
the trumpet, the drunkard awakes from his grave 
of centuries, amidst the awful volcanoes of the re- 
surrection morning. In a moment appears the grand- 
est scene ever witnessed on earth ; it is the Son of 
Man coming in the clouds of Heaven with power 
and great glory. This is the day the drunkard put 
afar off' — this is the day he hoped never to see. But 
it has come — laden with the retribution of eternity 
for men and angels, and not one of Adam's pro- 
gen}^ or demons lost, shall withstand the justice of 
their God. For it is written, " All that are in their 
graves, shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and 
they that hear shall live, and shall come forth ; they 
that have done good, unto the resurrection of life j 



^N INTEMPERANCE. 21 

and they tht^i 'luve done evil, unto the resurrection 
of damnation." 

Ail the drunkards since the world began, or ever 
will be until the consummation of all things, have 
at this final day assembled around the white throne. 
The Judge in the greatness of his rnajesty assumes 
his seat. The books are opened. And the last des- 
tiny of men and angels will soon echo through the 
upper world, and pierce the drunkard's heart with 
horror, such as damned spirits only feel. The cloud 
of inebriates wait in awful suspense, to hear their 
doom. The Avenger of blood proclaims their sen- 
tence : " Depart ye cursed into everlasting fire." 
Deep gloom now covers their guilty souls ; and such 
wailings never pierced the heart of man. The ser- 
vants of God bind them fast in chains never to be 
broken, and force them down the slippery steeps of 
eternal damnation. They make their last plunge 
in4he lake of fire, and never shall rise again. Here 
the lost angels of Heaven and Adam's race, that 
d'espised redemption, meet together to drink the un- 
ceasing vengeance of the wrath of God. Here their 
parching tongues shall cry for water, to quench the 
flames ; but their cries shall be put forth in vain. 
Tossed to and fro on this tempestuous lake of fire, 
they find no rest day nor night ; " For the smoke of 
their torments ascendeth up forever and ever." They 
cry, but too late ; for their mediatorial hour is passed 
by, and the thick darkness sets in upon them, which 
knows no breaking, no morn beyond it, and no star. 
Their bolts of eternal perdition are driven deep, in 
the dark profundity obscure ; and none but the eter- 
nal God can unloose their ponderous chains. Here, 
sorrow is destined to tread upon the heels of sorrow, 
through the long, dreary night of the damned ; for 
the rich news of freedom shall never salute their 
ears. The great boon of redemption^ once oflered 
to man through the groans of Calvary, lost its power 
of salvation, at the isthmus of death ; and forevrr 



22 EICE S ORATIOIs'S. 

rings with lost hope on the sinner's ear. How 
can the drunkard lay do.wn in this everlasting 
burning ? How can he endure this unquenchable 
fire ? 

But scenes more direful yet pierce the drunkard's 
soul. Horrible sights make him turn pale ; and the 
bowlings of the inebriate's damnation give terror to 
his ear ! But alas ! the hour of his redemption is 
passed by, and in vain he looks* back on mortal ex- 
istence, gone beyond recall. His heart beats in 
agony ! Hope dies ! But sorrow lives through the 
long night of the drunkard's execration. But how 
great the change ! That bosom friend, who suffered 
her husband's vengeance while on earth, made rich 
in God, ascends in the chariot of grace, to the abode 
of angels. His children, who received his cruelty 
on the shores of mortality, have bid adieu to all their 
sufferings ; and on the wings of mercy, through faith 
in their Savior, are wafted above the storms of earth, 
to the fair climes of Heaven. This tells the climax 
of the drunkard's doom. This swells his chain of 
misery never to be broken. While the gentle 
breezes of Heaven are wafting the rich fragrance 
through all the fields of bliss ; and those heaven- 
born sons and daughters of God receive the rich 
balm that makes the soul rejoice forever, the poor 
inebriate wails his. sufferings, and imbibes the igni- 
tion of sulphurous winds, through the long, dreary 
night of the damned ! And as he lifts up his eyes 
to Heaven, and beholds the vast multitude with harps 
in their hands, singing the rich song of redemption 
in honor to God and the Lamb, he inquires, how 
long must be my destiny in this prison-house of 
death ? The answer, borne on the expedition of the 
wrath of God, quickly strikes his ear, " Heaven and 
earth have passed away; but my sentence is immu- 
table, and in it thou must read thy eternal suffer- 
ings." Here trembling seizes his soul ! Despair 
sits on his countenance ! And hope sinks in her last 



ON INTEMPERANCE. 23 

grave ! No imagination can conceive his untold 
misery ! No mortdl pen shall be able to describe 
his sufferings ! For experience alone can tell the 
future scenes of his last destiny. As he remains in 
his dungeon of despair, ages on ages shall pass 
away, while he looks for hope ; but hope shall never 
come. He cries in the desperation of his soul, " O 
eternity ! eternity ! the boundless duration of my 
sufferings, laden with the indignation of an angry 
God !" Here, death treads upon eternal death ! 
And his load of agony passes the description of 
man. 

On the shores of time. King Alcohol had his ope- 
ration on the bacchanalian's heart, and through obe- 
dience to his mortal instruction he has become a fit 
subject for the world of wo, and the society of lost 
spirits. Here, he entered the school of Intemper- 
ance, which trains up her disciples for untimely suf- 
ferings and disgrace — accelerates their molality, 
and confirms their eternal damnation. Often in his 
maniac revelry, though extremely poor, he was rich ; 
though weak he was strong — and although a fool, 
he thought himself wise ; in a word, he was every 
thing disgusting in the sight of God and man. But 
we must now leave him in the regions of despair, 
under the sentence of that Judge who presides over 
universal nature, and rules as King in the armies 
of Heaven. To him, the votaries of Intemperance 
must bow the knee, and confess to the glory of God 
the Father. And from him, the inebriate, with all 
other sinners, must receive the just punishment due 
to his crimes ; for no one shall be able to escape his 
omniscient eye. O, that I was a ready writer — that 
I possessed more knowledge of the spirit's doom — 
that I had a voice like seven thunders, so that I 
could penetrate the drunkard's heart, ere he crosses 
the bridgeless river and enters the mansion of his 
second death ; where no voice of mercy shall ever 



24 rice's orations. 

reach his case — no blood of atonement save him 
from his last grave. 

The drunkard may by this time be ready to in- 
quire, how shall I escape the woes of this second 
death? The Gospel administers the remedy. "Touch 
not, taste not, handle not." If any man pursues 
this course, he will never be a drunkard. If he has 
been one, he will be one no more. Let him swear 
allegiance against King Alcohol, and stand fast in 
the cold-water ranks, and he will remain a sober 
man. He will show to the world that he has gained 
the victory over his most deadly foe. 

This is the brief history of the temperance re- 
form. But this alone cannot prepare the inebriate 
for the society of the blest. His heart may be yet 
stained with other crimes, which must be washed 
away in the efficacy of a Savior's blood, before he 
is a fit subject for the fair climes of Heaven. Then 
let him claim the word of God as his only hope, and 
never rest short of the rich possession of the spirit 
of the Gospel. Here he may build his hope for 
eternity ; here he may pluck a rich diadem, and lay 
up his treasures above. 

Thus we see hope, in the drunkard's case. We 
behold it possible for him to leave the slough of de- 
spair ; to awake from his degradation, and put on 
the beautiful garments of immortality. Could those 
legions of drunkards on earth see clearly the situa- 
tion of their lost brethren in the world to come, they 
would flee for their lives from the city of destruc- 
tion, and like valiant soldiers press through floods 
of opposition into the kingdom of Heaven. No 
time would be lost ; the watchword would be, on- 
ward — sink or swim — victory or death. 



ORATION II. 
ON WAR. 

No murderer hath eternal life abiding in him." — John iii. 15 



As I look about on the mental field of actlcn, I 
behold topics of vast moment, discussed by the logi- 
cian,. politician and Christian ; topics that are worthy 
of exposition and acceptation. 1 behold temperance 
with its balmy wings, melioratmg the condition of 
man — drying up the widow's tears — and restraining 
the cup of indignation from thousands of our fellow- 
beings, who would otherwise drink it to its very 
dregs This cause is glorious in its nature, vindi- 
cates wisdom in its votaries, and is truly a modern 
and brilliant star arisen on the intellectual powers 
of man. But I anticipate another star soon to rise, 
whose lustre shall excel the one already arisen ; it 
is " Peace on earth and good will to men." This 
was the song of angels, and must be the song and 
practice of man, ere millennial glory shall inspire 
the world. And if War must cease ere the Millen- 
nium shall appear, it is the duty of every friend of 
humanity, to oppose its desolating influence, and 
support the rich precept, " Love your enemies,'* 
sanctioned by the expiring blood of the Son of 
God. 

War, in its nature, is the most deadly evil that 
ever disgraced the records of history. It stands as 
the climax of offence above all other treason, and is 
punished by the great Lawgiver, with capital pun- 
ishment. It is nefarious in its nature above all other 



26 eice's orations. 

crimes, and robs man of the greatest boon he ever en- 
joyed on earth. It is his life ; take that away and all 
is lost. The position needs no proof, for the very na- 
ture of the case proves it true, beyond successful 
contradiction. From whence all these wailings, 
groans, tears and bloodshed ? From whence arise 
the widow's and the orphan's cry ? I need not point 
to the field of death, for all men know where the 
evil lies. Man may travel over the universal field 
of sorrow, and he finds no branch of atrocity that 
bears any comparison to the evils of War. Intem- 
perance, fornication and theft, are evils to be dread- 
ed in society ; but when compared to the evils of 
War, they sink into utter insignificance, for they 
neither sap the life blood, nor compel the wicked 
spirit to immediately leave its probationary state and 
enter its immutable existence. 

I consider War in its nature, to be the same crime 
between nations as it is between two individuals — 
with the exception that in the one case, men fight 
for themselves ; but in the other, they fight for their 
master. The evil that produces War in the breast 
of the king, is the same as that of two combatants. 
It is true, that the consequences in the one case are 
worse than in the other, because the ravages of de- 
struction are more extensive ; but the wicked inten- 
tion is one and the same thing. The causes which 
produce fightings and death, are desire of honor, re- 
taliation, wealth, and power. If rulers of nations 
were as desirous for the peace and welfare of their 
subjects, as they are to hazard their destruction, the 
national death-cry would forever cease. Kings would 
learn wisdom and humility, and instead of death in 
the field of battle, peace would cover the globe. 

The causes of national War, are generally trivial 
in their nature. Perhaps the subjects of some na- 
tion intrude on the subjects or rights of another. 
The offence is but small at the commencement, but 
before it is settled, amounts to an awful scene. The 



ON WAR. 27 

ruler of the nation on whom the offence was com- 
mitted, rises up in the wickedness of his heart ; and 
instead of using the means of settling the disturb- 
ance amicably, breaks forth in the blaze of anger, 
until he kindles up all the horrors of War, when 
the same offence which ends in seas of blood, might 
at the beginning, have been settled between the two 
rulers on easy terms, without destroying the life of 
an individual. Such is the disposition of many in 
authority, that instead of doing what they should do, 
they go counter to the welfare of their subjects, and 
often involve them in poverty, destruction and death. 
It is believed, the time is not far distant, when the 
rulers of the various sections of the globe shall be 
as anxious for the peace and prosperity of their peo- 
ple, as they have hitherto been for their destruc- 
tion ; and would to God that this period had ar- 
rived. 

The devastation that has enveloped our globe in 
consequence of the inveteracy of man. is beyond the 
calculation of a finite mmd. The first account we 
have of shedding blood, was in that early period of 
the world when Cain slew his brother Abel. ' Here 
we see in the first scene of death God disapproved 
of it, and cursed the wickea perpetrator with a mark 
of lasting infamy. Since that time, according to the 
records of history, Wars have almost incessantly 
deluged our world with sanguinary streams of blood. 
How often has the widow's heart been rent in agony 
at the black seal from the battle ground, or the dole- 
ful news in some other form, " Thy husband sleeps 
in death?" What untimely sensations are these, 
which writhe her broken heart in anguish and blast 
the prospect of her earthly bliss forever ? She as- 
sumes all her energy of mmd to recall her former 
joy, but in vain she desires its return, for the object 
of her affection is no more on earth. Her eyes are 
swollen with tears, she weeps — she groans in the 
keen anguish of her soul, and perhaps in a short 



28 rice's orations. 

time expires. But if her life be extended — if the 
lam^) yet burns for a season, it burns only in the 
gloom of untimely poverty and sufferings, and en- 
hances the misery of the forlorn object of despair. 
But there is a more solemn appeal to the champion's 
heart. It is the universal cry of millions of orphans, 
whose hapless condition calls in the tenderness of 
their souls, mercy from the monarch of their king- 
dom. Hear their mournful tale. Our fathers were 
forced from our dwellings — called to the battle field 
*in obedience to the requisition of one who sat in 
judgment. They died in the conflict, and left their 
offspring to wretchedness and woe. What oceans of 
tears must yet be shed by widows and orphans, to 
assuage the wickedness of man ? How long shall 
their needy prayers be put forth in vain ? 

The spirit of War has not been confined to Infi- 
dels, but has entered the hearts of those who pro- 
fess to wear the woolly fleece, and be called the ser- 
vants of the most high God ; these have also most 
inhumanly butchered their brethren, who professed 
with them the same religion of Jesus Christ ; but 
because they differed with them in some points of 
doctrine, many have been put to death by the most 
savage sufferings. If history be true, more than 
50,000,000 have been slain since the Savior's birth, 
by professors of religion and conflicts arising from 
the same. This seems singular, indeed, that men 
who profess to believe the same Gospel, which de- 
clares, " No murderer hath eternal life abiding in 
him," should rise up and slay each other, because 
one party has got the ascendancy in points of law. 
Thus, we see what iniquity can be couched in the 
heart of professors of religion, who do not possess 
the true spiri'. of the Gospel. 

If there were no animal misery in War, and no 
spiritual imprecation in the same, yet it must be true, 
there is great loss both of wealth and character; 
because both parties lose their time and expenses, 



01? WAR. 29 

when but one party receives the prize — and that 
prize was in possession of one of the parties before 
the contest. It is very often the case, that the na- 
tion which conquers, spends as much time and mo- 
ney in obtaining victory over their enemies, as the 
amount of weakh they gain by the conquest ; and 
the subdued party, of course, must always be poorer 
than at the beginning of the conflict. 

It has been remarked by some, that War destroys 
that part of community which are a nuisance to so- 
ciety. I would ask in the name of logic, does not 
War, as a general thing, make two nuisances, where 
it removes one ? Thus we see it is injurious to 
community in a moral point of view. But when we 
recollect that those beings have immortal souls, that 
must live forever in bliss unutterable, or wail among 
the damned in hell ! and that to die in battle with a 
heart that even hates an enemy, is the sure ratifica- 
tion of the spirit's death in the world to come ; we see 
that the subject bears a momentous aspect; that the 
probationary existence of that being is ended, which 
probably would have been lengthened out had it not 
been for the combat ; and on that period of exist- 
ence hangs a dazzling crown, which worlds want 
wealth to buy ! and if lost, is past all redemption 
forever ! 

I do not wish to place the whole curse of War on 
rulers, or kings of nations, although they have the 
greater sin ; because every individual in a measure 
acts for himself; for no man can absolutely oblige 
another to shed blood. Man on this point, in a cer- 
tain extent, acts free. It is true that one man may 
punish another for not obeying martial requirements ; 
but man may better suffer for righteousness' sake, and 
attain a future reward, than persist in unrighteous- 
ness, and lose his reward. Some men say, we are 
obliged to fight ; but this is not the case. Man may 
put the innocent to death ; but he cannot make the 
innocent fight the guilty. Therefore every man 



*3 



30 rice's orations. 

must give an account of his stewardship to God. 
If he has been a martialist, he must account for his 
demeanor. If he has been a peacemaker, he must 
account for the same. " For every man must 
give an account for the deeds which he hath 
done, whether they be good, or whether they be 
evil." 

I shall now attempt to show, that the War spirit 
in its nature counteracts the spirit of the Gospel. 
And if I can establish this position, by divine truth, 
I must of course convince every honest Christian, 
that passions of War in the breast of man are hein- 
ous beyond toleration. If man had no future exist- 
ence be^^ond death, it has been shown that War is 
most horrible, and ought to be expunged from the face 
of the earth. I do not pretend to say, but shedding 
of blood in some cases has been justified in the old 
Testament, in the dark ages of the world, before 
the Gospel had shed its lustre over the inhabitants 
of the earth. Let us for a moment reflect, and see 
the difference between the new and the old Testa- 
ments. It is written, saith the Savior, in the law, 
" An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth." Now 
hear the Gospel assertion — " But I say unto you, 
love your enemies ; and pray for them that despite- 
fully use you and persecute you, that you may be 
called the children of your Father which is in Hea- 
ven." And again, he saith, " Old things have 
passed away, and all things have become new." As 
much as if he had said, the Mosaic law answered 
in the dark ages of the world, and stands recorded 
as truth ; yet I bring to man a new and living way, 
which, instead of covering the world with slaugh- 
tered millions, shall inspire it with peace and right- 
eousness. I consider the predictions of the old Tes- 
tament useful to us, as far as they go to corroborate 
the new ; and many of them being fulfilled at 
Christ's appearance, show that God directed the 
prophecy. I suppose the old Testament stands re- 



ON WAR. 31 

recorded as God's truth, but contains for us no sal- 
vation. If these assertions be true, we have to go 
to the new Testament to vindicate the doctrine of 
peace. 

We are now to consider one question more ; that 
is, what kind of spirit was exhibited in the doctrine 
and practice of our Savior ? Was he an enemy of man- 
kind ? or did he love them ? What precepts are these 
that fall from his lips, sweeter than the voice of an- 
gels ? " Blessed are the peacemakers ; for they shall 
be called the children of God." " Blessed are the 
merciful ; for they shall obtain mercy." When Pe- 
ter fought in defence of his Lord, he said unto him, 
" Put up again thy sword into his place ; for all 
they that take the sword shall perish with the sword." 
The whole Gospel declaration, as far as it relates to 
contention, is in favor of peace. It is called the " Gos- 
pel of peace," and there is nothing in the Savior's 
Will that goes to support War in any degree ; but 
everything to oppose it. How then shall a professor 
of Christianity justify himself in that nefarious act, 
which the Savior condemns ? How long before the 
eyes of multitudes, now shut in darkness against 
the true light, shall be opened, and they accept the 
fulgency of that star, which shall disperse their 
gloom, and illumine them on the narrow pathway to 
Heaven ? How strange it is, that this wicked prin- 
ciple has ever entered the hearts of those who pre- 
tend to be the meek followers of the -Lord ! But it 
is no more strange than true. 

The blessed Jesus " came to seek and to save that 
which was lost." Is there any spirit of destruction 
in this ? None. We may follow him through the 
whole course of his life ; and we see the same pa- 
cific spirit exhibited in all his ways. Who, when 
man had lost his primeval paradise, and became ex- 
posed, not only to temporal death, but the blackness 
of darkness forever, laid aside his beauteous gar- 
ments, looked upon with rapture by seraphim and 



32 rice's orations. 

cherubim, and in their stead received the frail gaib 
of mortality, and dwelt among the children of men ? 
Thou blood-bought and immortality-born warrior, 
this was thy spotless Savior ! What kind of per- 
sonage was that, who, after there had been War in 
Heaven, and dark demons doomed to the lake of 
fire, passed by their black mansion of eternal death, 
with rapid flight winged his way to the gloomy re- 
gion of Adam's lost race, and promised to man the 
rich boon of redemption? This was truly the mur- 
derer's Friend ! Who was that, when he had led 
a life of sorrow, and was often acquainted with grief, 
sweat blood in the garden of Gethsemane for sin- 
ners — bore his cross to the fatal place of execution — 
by them and for them was nailed to the cursed tree, 
and for them expired the ignominious death of a 
malefactor ? This was truly the Friend of man. 

But I cannot yet leave the scene of sufferings. J 
behold his spotless life from the cradle to the tomb. 
It cannot be remembered that any have seen him 
laugh, but many have seen him weep. He was a 
man of poverty ; that we through his poverty might 
become rich. He was a poor houseless wanderer, 
having not where to lay his head. As a man, he 
was often faint and weary, as he bore the Gospel of 
salvation to distempered sinners. I see him across 
the Kidron stream, bearing the ponderous load of 
guilt due to man ; which pressed the bloody sweat 
through every pore, and in drops of bleeding mercy 
fell to the ground. Follow, O my soul ! thy Re- 
deemer to Pilate's bar ! See the Creator of all worlds 
condescend to be condemned by wicked man. Be- 
hold the blessed Jesus scourged by frail mortals, 
from whence streams of blood ran to the ground. 
See that blessed head, which ever meditated peace 
for lost sinners, encircled with a wreath of tho.'ns. 
See that face without spot or wrinkle, spit upon 
by the audacious scorner. See those eyes, that could 



ON WAR. 33 

often weep for the miseries of a lost world, by thj 
enemies of peace sealed in the embrace of death. 

But lo ! the Savior is buffeted in the stre( ts of 
the Jews ! and moves in solemn gloom, to the place 
of execution ! He lies upon the bed of sorrows 
The adamantine soldiers, Avith the ponderous ham 
mer, drive the spikes through his hands and feet 
They rear him up, a spectacle to men and angels 
He bleeds — he groans — he dies ! A drop of that 
precious blood darkens the mid-day sun, while the 
rueful exhibition made the earth to her centre quake, 
the tombs burst, the rocks rend, and the veil of the 
temple sunder in twain from top to bottom. Surely 
this must prove the matchless commiseration of the 
Lamb of God. 

After our Savior had given up his life on the 
cross, for some cause a soldier pierced our Redeem- 
er's side — from which incision flowed blood and 
water. O, that the enemy of peace might drink 
freely of that mighty stream which flowed from the 
Savior's side, that he might catch the rich tide of 
mercy that saves the soul in the world to come ! But 
the merciful exhibition of the blessed Redeemer 
does not end here. He raised the widow's son from 
the chambers of death. He healed all manner of 
diseases, and cast out devils, without money and 
without price. I see his condescension, at the grave 
of Lazarus, where humanity bled at the loss of those 
he loved. Jesus wept with them who wept. " Then 
said the Jews, behold how he loved him." Jesus 
groaned in the spirit and was troubled ; after which 
he cried with a loud voice " Lazarus, come forth." 
And he that was dead immediately arose from the 
mansion of the grave. 

Thus we have proved that the Author of the 
Gospel of peace is the greatest Friend that ever 
showed mercy to the woes of suffering humanity. 
And if he is a Friend, such must be his disciples, 
for he calls them nil brethren. 



34 rice's orations. 

I would to God that I was a finished painter, a 
ready writer, and had the pen of an angel, that I 
might do justice to my subject, and show forth to 
my countrymen and the world the mournful scene 
of the battle ground — the dying woes — the bloody 
carnage and crimsoned streams of death. That I 
could lay before the human understanding the awful 
tragedy of War — the expiring groans and flowing 
rivers of blood. Could I exhibit the speedy flight 
of millions upon millions of deathless spirits, who 
are hastened to the judgment unprepared to meet 
their God, I should arrive at that point which would 
happify my soul, and discharge a duty I owe to God 
and the world. Are there not sorrows enough in 
this life, that tread upon the heels of sorrow, with- 
out man's enhancing his awful curse and that of his 
fellow man ? Could there be tears in Heaven, they 
would freely fall from angels' eyes, as they behold 
the doleful exhibition of martial combats. In this 
case man's image of God is lost, and he ceases to 
be man. 

The War spirit of evil in the breast of man, is 
the great enemy of peace to the world. It is the 
spirit of the devil, who was a murderer from the be- 
ginning, and is incessantly going about like a roar- 
ing lion, seeking whom he may devour — making 
foes to the Prince of peace, and enlisting candidates 
for the wailings of the secpnd death. Thus we see 
that men are easily attracted by the wicked one — 
that their spirits resemble those lost angels — that 
many are fast hastening to the same gulf of per- 
dition, and nothing can save them from the curse 
but the acceptation of the free grace of God, be- 
cause for man there is but one Savior and one method 
of salvation. 

How vain the warrior's glory — how soon it ex- 
pires — how quick his fame is transmitted to obli- 
vion, and all his earthly encomiums transformed to 
death's eternal sleep ? How inconsistent is man to 



ON WAR. 35 

aspire a momentary crown, which if once obtained 
is worthless in its nature, and lighter in the estima- 
tion of reason than the dust of the balance ? Sup- 
pose the warrior obtain victory over his enemy, this 
only increases his thirst for shedding blood and his 
desire for subduing other nations and kingdoms, 
until his heart becomes adamantine in the extreme, 
and his thirst for victory completely triumphs over 
mercy. Yes, he would if possible, be an Alexander, 
and conquer the world ; and to prove that his thirst 
for blood was not yet satiated, he would set down 
and weep, to think there was not another world for 
him to conquer. When man seriously ruminates on 
the subject of martial honor, he would suppose none 
but the frantic maniac would ever embark in such 
an undertaking, as to wade through the blood of his 
fellow men to obtain that eulogy disapproved of by 
his Creator, and destined to speedy annihilation. 
But such is the folly and wickedness of man, that 
he prefers a fading crown to one that never dies. 

How often have the brightest stars of our world 
been extinguished by the evil practice of dueling ? 
How have those lights been transmitted to oblivion, 
and all the nobler powers of man sunk in death's 
gloomy sleep ? Let America yet remember the 
woes arising from the Hoboken shore ! Let her 
reflect on that tragical scene when the rich blood of 
Hamilton flowed from his mighty heart, and let her 
ever reject with infamy, that practice which robbed 
her of so great a statesman. 

Those eyes that sparkled in anticipation of future 
bliss, are sealed in death. That heart which beat 
high for our welfare, has now lost its motion. That 
voice which ever plead our country's cause, shall be 
Tieard no more, and all that was so great and glori- 
ous in Hamilton, has, by the enemy of peace, been 
«wept away. 

" Ye Americans, approach and behold, while I 
»i.''t *rom his sepulchre its covering — ye admirers of 



36 

his greatness — ye -who are emulous of his talent? 
and his fame, approach and behold him now. How 
pale ? How silent ? No martial bands admire the 
adroitness of his movements. No fascinated throng 
weep, and melt and tremble at his eloquence ! 
Amazing change ! A shroud ! a coffin ! a narrow 
subterraneous cabin ! This is all that remains of 
Hamilton." And is this all that remains of him, 
who vied with European eloquence, and Grecian 
sages ? 

The deadly foe of Hamilton has been followed by 
the Avenger of blood. Poverty, affliction and dis- 
grace, have overtaken him since the foul deed was 
perpetrated. The widow's and the orphan's tear 
have been recorded in the archives of God, and have 
been remembered by the righteous Judge. And if 
there is justice in Heaven, that hostile murderer will 
be retaliated for all his wrongs, and all his confed- 
erates who are enlisted under the black banner: 
*' For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also 
reap." 

How many warriors, after having received their 
mortal wounds, have repented and bewailed the 
cause of their sufferings ? Had they mountains of 
gold, they would freely give all for their exemption, 
but in vain they put forth their dying prayer, because 
their wounds are mortal, and hasten their passage 
through the waves of Jordan. The gift of life, pre- 
cious beyond description, they have bartered away 
for the warrior's glory. They now become frantic, 
arid no created arm can redeem them from their 
mournful execration. Could the warrior while in 
health, withdraw the veil from the battle ground 
and behold the misery he is exposed to there, he 
would flee from it as he would from the baneful Upas 
Tree, and turn his back forever on martial honor. 
"War would appear more terrible to him than the lion 
of the forest seeking his prey, or the deadly coils of 
the anaconda. But instead of weighing the subject 



ON WAR. 37 

in the scale of reason, like those lost demons that 
fought against God, he rushes to battle with incau- 
tious steps until his temporal and eternal perdition is 
sealed beyond all hope. 

There is one topic more I have yet to mention. 
It is taking the life of him who sheds blood. If 
I were to express my opinion on this subject, I would 
gladly substitute another punishment for the scaffold 
of death, which is imprisonment during life, in such 
a manner, that the murderer can no more have an 
opportunity of taking the life of his fellow men. 
This gives him a greater chance for repentance and 
future salvation. If taking away the murderer's 
life would restore the life of his victim, there would 
be more wisdom in the case, but this can never 
come to pass. Therefore, because the servant of 
iniquity has committed the greatest possible crime, 
it does not look rational, that men who profess bet- 
ter things, should inflict the same punishment on 
his person. But instead of keeping up the rigor- 
ous practice of the Mosaic law, they should act in 
reference to the spirit of the Gospel. 

We see the noble operations of the spirit of peace 
in the case of William Penn. When he purchased 
his American lands of the British government, he 
did not consider himself the soil owner until he had 
bought it again of the aborigines, and settled with 
them on terms of peace, insomuch that it has been 
ever since high treason among the Indians to put to 
death a Quaker, who lived up to his profession. I 
suppose if all the emigrants who settled in America 
possessed the same spirit as William Penn, the red 
men of the forest had never shed the blood of a 
white man, nor the white men the blood of an 
Indian. If this inference be true, what waves 
of sorrow might have been silenced on terms of 
peace. 

To inspire the mind with the evils of War, let us 
view the horrid scenes of Waterloo. A few years 



38 rice's orations. 

have passed away since Bonaparte and Wellington 
met on the battle field over which their mighty 
armies were manceuvering. As I reflect on the aw- 
ful scene, it sets in upon my vision and seems to be 
just before me. The direful cannonading now be- 
gins, and soon rolls the whole length of the lines. 
On the right, Jerome Bonaparte with 12,000 men 
descends like a mountain stream on the Chateau of 
Hougoumont. Column after column, — the dark 
masses march straight into the deadljr fire that 
opens in every direction. In perfect order, and steady 
front, they press up to the very walls, and thrust 
their bayonets through the door itself. At length, 
the house takes fire, and the shrieks of the wounded 
who are burning up, rise a moment over the roar of 
the strife, and then nought is heard but the con- 
fused noise of battle. Slowly, reluctantly, those 
12,000 surge back from the walls ;— 12,000 did I 
say? No; in this rapid half hour 1,500 have 
fallen to rise no more, and there in that orchard of 
four acres, their bodies are scattered, nay, rather 
piled, besmeared with powder and blood. Between 
me and them, fresh columns of French infantry, 
headed by a long row of cannon that belch forth 
their fires every few moments, come steadily up to 
the English squares. Whole ranks of living men 
fall at every discharge, but those firm squares 
neither shake nor falter. The earth trembles as 
cannon answers cannon, burying their loads in solid 
masses of human flesh. In the midst of this awful 
melee, the brave Picton charges home on the French, 
and they roll back like a wave from the rock — but 
a bullet has entered his temple, and he sallies back 
and falls at the head of his followers. And yonder 
to save their flying infantry, a column of French 
cavalry throw themselves with the ocean's mighty 
swing on the foe ; but these rock-fast squares stand 
rooted to the ground. Slowly and desperately that 
daring column walk their horses round and round 



ON WAR. 39 

the squares, dashing in at every opening, but in vain. 
And now from wing to wing it is one wild battle, 
and I see nothing but the smoke of cannon, the 
tossing of plumes, and the soaring of the French 
eagle over the charging columns ; and I hear nought 
but the roll of the drum, — the sound of martial 
music, — the explosion of artillery, and the blast of 
the bugle sounding the charge. There stands Wel- 
lington, weary and anxious. "Wherever a square 
has wavered, he has thrown himself into it, cheer- 
ing on his men. But now he stands and surveys 
the field of blood, and sees his posts driven in, his 
army exhausted, and exclaims, while he wipes the 
sweat from his brow, " Would to God that Blucher 
or night would come." The noble Gordon steps up 
to him, begging him not to stand where he is so ex- 
posed to the shots of the enemy, and while he is 
speaking, a bullet pierces his own body, and he falls. 
Bonaparte surveys the field of slaughter with savage 
ferocity, and pours fresh columns on the English 
lines, while the cavalry charge with desperate valor 
on the English infantry. For four long hours has 
the battle raged, and victory wavered. But look ! 
a dark object emerges from yonder distant wood, 
and stretches out into the field. And now there are 
banners, and horsemen, and moving columns. The 
Prussians are coming ! Bonaparte sees them, and 
knowing that nothing can save him but the destruc- 
tion of the English lines before they arrive, orders 
up his old imperial guard, that had been kept aloof 
from battle all the day. He addressed them in a few 
fiery words, telling them that all rests on their valor. 
They shout, " the Emperor forever," till the sound 
is heard even to the British lines. With the im- 
petuous Ney at their head, they move in perfect or- 
der and beautiful array down the slope. The storm 
of battle is hushed. No drum, or trumpet, or mar- 
tial strain cheers them on ! No bugle sounds the 
charge ! In dread silence and with steady step they 



40 rice's orations. 

come. The allied forces look with indescribable 
awe and dread, on the approach of those battalions 
that had never yet been conquered. But the mo- 
mentary pause is like the hush of the storm ere it 
gathers for a fiercer sweep. The cannon open at 
once, and whole ranks of that gallant band fall like 
a snow wreath from the mountain, yet they falter 
not ; over the mangled forms they pass, and with 
steady, resistless force, come up face to face with 
their foe. The lines reel and totter, and sway back- 
ward. The field seems lost — but no, that awful 
discharge on their bosoms from that rank of men 
that seemed to rise from the ground, has turned the 
day — the invincible guard stop as if stunned by some 
terrible bloAv. A second discharge and they wheel 
and fly. The whole English line now advance to 
Ihe assault. Look at that mangled column, how 
that discharge of artillery has torn its head, and 
carried away half its number. 

'Tis over; that magnificent army that formed in 
such beautiful order in the morning, on the heights, 
is n(nv rent, and the fugitives darken the field. 
' Tis night ; but the Prussians, fresh on the field, 
pursue the flying the long night. Oh ! what scenes 
of horror and dread are witnessed, where the thun- 
der of distant cannon comes booming on the mid- 
night air ! Death is dragging his car over the mul- 
titude, and the very heavens look aghast at the mer- 
ciless slaughter. 

' Tis night ; the roar of the far-ofT cannon is heard 
at intervals, but here it is all quiet. The battle is 
hushed, and the conflicting legions have parted to 
meet no more. The full round moon is sailing 
quietly up the blue heavens, serene and peaceful as 
ever. The stars shine on, as if they looked on no 
scene of woe. A weary form is slowly passing over 
the field ; it is Wellington, weeping as he goes ; for 
his horse's hoofs strike at every step in puddles of 
human blood ; and the moonbeams fall on more than 



ON WAR. 4i 

20,000 corpses strewed over the trampled ground. 
The groans of the dying, and the shrieks of the suf- 
fering mingle together, while the sudden death- 
cry rings over all. And the unconscious moon is 
smiling on — painting the far-off landscape in beau- 
ty. God in Heaven, is this thy earth, and are those 
mangled mountains of flesh thy creatures ? How 
little nature seems to sympathize with the scenes 
that transpire in her presence ! It is true the grain 
lies trampled and crushed, and red on the plain, but 
the wind passes as gently over it, stirring the tree- 
tops as it goes, as if no groans were mingled with 
its breath. The full-orbed moon rides up her gor- 
geous path-way of stars, smiling down as sweetly 
on these crushed and shrieking masses, as if nought 
but the shepherd boy reclined on the field, and gazed 
on her beauty. Nay, God himself seems not to no- 
tice this fierce attack on the happiness of his crea- 
tures ; but lets nature, like a slumbering child, 
breathe peacefully on. And yet this is an awful 
night, and there is an aggregate of woe and agony 
here, no mind can measure. And he — the author 
of it all — the haughty homicide, who has strode like 
a demon over Europe, and left his infatuated armies 
on three continents, where is he ? A fugitive for 
life ; while the roar of the distant cannon coming 
faintly on his ear, tells him of the field and power 
he has left behind. His race is run ; that baleful 
star has gone down, and the nations can breathe free 
once more ! 

The Christian cannot muse over such a field of 
blood, without the deepest execration of Bonaparte's 
career. The warrior may recount the deeds wrought 
in that mighty conflict, but the Christian's eye looks 
farther — to the broken hearts it has made, and to 
the fearful retributions of the judgment. We will 
not speak of the physical suffering crowded into this 
one day, for we cannot appreciate it. The suffer- 
ings of one single man, with his shattered bones 



*4 



42 rice's orations. 

piercing him as he struggles in his pain; his suffo-- 
cation, and thirst, and bitter pra3'ers, drowned amid 
the roar of battle ; his mental agony as he thinks 
of his wife and children ; his last death-shriek, are 
utterly inconceivable. Multiply the sum of this 
man's sufferings by 20,000, and the aggregate, who 
can tell ? Then charge all this to one man's ambi- 
tion, and who shall measure his guilt, or say how dark 
and terrible his doom should be ? Bonaparte was a 
man of great intellect ; but he stands charged with 
crimes that blacken and torture the soul forever; 
and his accusers and their witnesses will rise from 
almost every field in Europe, and come in crowds 
from the banks of the Nile. He met and conquered 
many armies ; but never stood face to face with such 
a terrible array, as when he shall be summoned 
from his grave to meet this host of witnesses. The 
murderous artillery, the terrific charge, and the 
headlong courage, will then avail him nothing. 
Truth, justice, and mercy, are the only helpers 
there, and they cannot help him. He trod them 
down in his pride and fury, and they shall tread him 
down forever. He assaulted the peace and happi- 
ness of the earth, and the day of reckoning is sure. 
He put his glory above all human good or ill, and 
drove his chariot over a pathway of human hearts, 
and the God of the human heart shall avenge them 
and abase him. 

I care not what good he did in founding institu- 
tions and overturning rotten thrones ; good was not 
his object, but personal glory. Besides this, sack- 
ing and burning down cities to build greater, has 
always been a favorite measure with conquerors, and 
the favorite apology with their eulogisers. It is false 
in fact, and false, if true in the inference drawn 
from it. It is not true that improvement was his 
purpose, nor does it exculpate him if it was. God 
does not permit man to produce happiness this way, 
without a special command. When he wishes a 



ON WAR. 43 

corrupt nation or people to be swept away, he sends 
his earthquake or pestilence ; or if man is to be his 
anointed instrument, he anoints him in the presence 
of the world. He may, and does allow one wicked 
thing to scourge another, but the scourger is a cri- 
minal while he fulfils the design, for he acts not for 
the Deity, but for himself. The grand outline of Bona- 
parte's mental character — the great achievements he 
performed — the mighty power he wielded, and the 
awe with which he inspired the world, have blind- 
ed men to his true character, and he remains half 
deified to this day ; while the sadness of his fate — 
being sent to eat out his heart on a solitary rock in 
mid-ocean — has created a morbid sympathy for him, 
anything but manly or just. The very manner of his 
departure must have contributed to this wrong feel- 
ing. Expiring amidst an awful storm, while trees 
were falling, and the sea flinging itself, as if in con- 
vulsions, far up on the island, have imparted some- 
thing of the supernatural to him. And then his 
fierceness to the last ; for though the night was wild 
and terrible, a wilder night was over his heart, and 
his spirit in its last fitful struggle, was watching the 
current of battle. He has gone, and his mighty 
armies with him ; but the day shall come when the 
world shall read his history as they read that of 
Caesar, and point to his grave with a shudder. 

The followers of the Savior, in the early ages of 
the Christian church, denied the spirit of War in 
their faith and practice. They well knew that it 
opposed the precepts of their Master. That it was 
the deepest stain of iniquity that ever inspired the 
breast of a sinner. A Christian take up arms to 
slay his fellow men ! As well might hell be called 
Heaven, or the devil an angel of light ! The very 
reason why so many of the ancient Christians died 
martyrs, was because they practised the spirit of the 
Gospel, rather than destroy their murderers and 
prolong their own existence. The warrior then 



44 rice's orations. 

bearing arms, and raging like a demon against his 
foe, as soon as he became a convert to Christianity, 
laid down his carnal weapons and began the spirit- 
ual w^arfare of his Master. No earthly wealth or 
crown sublime, could induce him to take the life of 
his enemy ; for he well knew the precept of his 
Lord, " He that loseth his life for my sake, the same 
shall keep it unto life eternal." 

The church for ages has been imbibing error, as 
the oceans swallow the rivers of water. Almost 
every sect claiming the name of Christians, believe 
in the practice of War. Laying aside the teach- 
ings of the Son of God, they have become trans- 
formed to the spirit of the world — desiring a name 
to live when dead — falsely professing Christianit}?-. 
Peace is the Banner of the Gospel ! Peace, the 
Christian's element ! And if there must be Wars 
and commotions to deluge our earth in blood, be it 
known they originate from the powers of darkness, 
and not from the church of God. If this position 
be established, how ought every servant of the Lord 
beware how he treads forbidden ground, lest he 
comes short of the crown of salvation. Lest he de- 
ceives others by the preaching and practice of his 
own delusion — becomes instrumental in their dam- 
nation, and rears a structure of opposition to God 
which at last will grind him to pow^der, and leave 
nothing but his soul to wail its eternal loss. 

In this luminous day, w^hen the Gospel of light 
beams wnth such lustre, I behold certain objects 
strange in appearance. They are those ministers 
of the sacred desk, who pretend to preach the Gos- 
pel of the Son of God, yet are Mahometans at 
heart — believe in shedding blood — teach their peo- 
ple the same precept ; and instead of preaching the 
doctrine of the Savior, they are recommending the 
greatest sin for virtue, that was ever perpetrated by 
man. Such are the characters that pierced the Re- 
deemer's side — that drove the nails through his 



ON WAR. 45 

hands — and took his life on the brow of Calvary. 
Such are they, who counterfeit the truth of Heaven, 
and rob the Savior of his brightest crown. These 
evangelists shall have no excuse ; for they sin against 
light, under the influence of fashion, and have not 
religion enough in their hearts to enable them to 
bear their cross and preach the truth of God. 

Were all the teachers in Christendom preachers 
of divine truth, believers in religion would look on 
shedding of blood as the greater sin, and would flee 
from so cruel a practice, as they would from the 
fangs of the serpent. If the multitude of such 
preachers as many we now have, were sufficient to 
cover the globe, they would never be instrumental 
in bringing about the Millennium, without a direct 
miracle from God, to convert them and their disci- 
ples. Therefore the doctrine of peace should be 
declared by those who stand on the walls of Zion ; 
that there may be a line of distinction between the 
servants of the Lord and the servants of the wick- 
ed one. That the world may see " The Christian's 
weapons are spiritual, and mighty through God in 
pulling down the strong holds of Satan, and of 
building up the Redeemer's kingdom." 

How often have chaplains of armies, just before 
the commencement of battle, made solemn mockery 
of prayer, for those soldiers about to shed blood ? 
What faith, pretended to be based on the Gospel, 
was shook to its centre by the same truth ? What, 
a minister of God ! praying for the success of men, 
in the performance of the foulest deed that ever 
stained the archives of history. " O, tell it not in 
Gath — nor let the sound reach the streets of Aske- 
lon !" Their prayer should be for every soldier to 
sheath his sword, and flee the field of death. Thus 
they would prove their doctrine born of God, and 
comprised of the richest gold of Heaven. 

Could the tears and blood which have been shed 
in consequence of War, since the creation of man, 



46 rice's orations. 

be convened in one mass, they would form a laker 
sufficiently large to float the United States navy. 
And could the groans and lamentations experienced 
in consequence of the flood gates of death, give the 
elegiac tune to the howling winds, they would waft 
this mighty fleet to and fro, on its sanguinary bo- 
som. And did these winds possess the power of 
retaliation, as they sometimes do, when directed by 
the finger of God, they Avould drive this martial 1 
craft, by the scourge of destruction, against the iron- 
bound shores ; or make her devastation sure on the 
rocks of mortal damnation ! Then this mighty en- 
gine of death could no longer bear those savage 
blood hounds of hell to foreign shores, so they might 
scourge their brethren, and drive them to an untime- 
ly grave. 

But why all this pleading for peace on earth ? 
Why this anxiety for the heaven-born spirit of God, 
to inspire the world, and restore her to ancient glory? 
The friend of man would fain dispel the woes of his 
fellow man ; and would, through his obedience to 
the Gospel, place on his brow the golden crown, 
deposited in Heaven for the sons of God. Did the 
murderer look on shedding of blood as does the mur- 
derer's Friend, he would sooner give up every thing 
he holds dear on earth, than to take the life of his 
enemy ; if by so doing he could save his own. Such 
would be the commiseration of his soul — such would 
be his ejaculation to Heaven. 

But the drum shall yet drown the warrior's dying 
prayer. The reign of Beelzebub on earth shall swell 
the mournful dirge. War and rumors of War shall 
deluge the earth ; and the hill and valley shall re- 
sound with the artillery of death. Lost angels shall 
yet make brethren of Adam's race ; and urge them 
on to the perdition of ungodly men, where their por- 
tion must be scalding tears, and the red glare of 
undying flames. The hells of riot shall spread far 
and wide. The influence of bloody carnaa^e shall 



ON WAR. 4? 

draw man's heart from virtue. Martial atrocity shall 
pour forth in floods of desolation, and forever destroy 
the Christian's peace, were it not laid up in God. 
Such will be the scene on earth, until Satan takes 
his last farewell, and man receives the true spirit 
of the Gospel. 

When I survey the field of battle ; when I behold 
the untimely carnage, the quick exit from time to 
eternity, and the manner in which thousands depart, 
it shocks my mind with amazement at the dismal 
scene. Is not this the height of barbarism, the per- 
fection of madness, and the highest degree of folly ? 
I see multitudes of human beings, rushing forth to 
the slaughter, in high expectation of victory ; yet in 
reality they are in imminent danger. They are 
exposing their blood-bought souls, and all they hold 
dear on earth, to death and despair ; yet unconscious 
of this all-important truth, they rush forward, un- 
til they are apprehended by the death-ball's fa- 
tal motion, and close their eyes amid the shrieks 
of death. This I conceive to be the greatest infatu- 
ation that ever dictated the passions of man. 

Day and night shall visit the world — the wave of 
deathly sorrow shall in succession follow wave — the 
shrill clangor of the trumpet shall call men to arms ; 
the burst of cannon, like peals of thunder, shall 
swell the tale of wo, amidst the groans and cries of 
the dying — the sword of vengeance shall brandish 
the air, and drink the blood of the victim's heart — 
clouds of smoke shall envelop the field of carnage ; 
and if it were possible, clad the sun in mourn- 
ing at the awful scene — ere nations shall learn 
War no more, and millennial glory transform the 
world. 

I shall now attempt to draw the contrast between 
the bliss of the Christian and that of the warrior. 
Between him who fights with carnal weapons, and 
him who fights with spiritual. And to accomplish 
my object, I shall attempt to show the Christian's 



48 rice's orations. 

pilgrimage through the paradisiacal fields of delight, '' 
and his participation of glory in the world to 
come. And to end the contrast, I shall describe 
the warrior's death, and his existence beyond the 
grave. 

Man, by his Creator has been endowed withaca-- 
pacity designed to magnify its first existence, andl 
verge with rapid strides towards creative power., 
He surveys the orb on which he sails through the] 
vast fields of ether by the mental powers of hiss 
giant mind. He has formed rules whereby he has 5 
directed ships through vast oceans to foreign shores,, 
and measured the flight of blazing meteors over the 
fields of infinite space. He has formed laws and I 
systems of just regulations, whereby he has melio-- 
rated the condition of man, and silenced the voice: 
of tumult, sedition and death. All these things : 
have been performed by the intellectual powers of " 
man. 

Often on visionary pinions he mounts the far off' 
worlds that glitter on night's dreary mantle, andl 
wake up with increased glory, all the blushes of ' 
morning. Flying from worlds of light to „worldsv 
more amorous still by seraphic grandeur, lights oni 
some distant star — doubles the cape of heaven, them 
sails up the stream of time, where power creative first t 
began to energise, and where existence sprang forth i 
from chaotic embryo, by the finger of the great ti 
Original. 

But to prove the compassion of the spirit of 
peace, let us look back on some of those charac- 
ters that have long since slept in death, yet by 
their intelligent minds have made their names im- 
mortal. 

Ever since the creation of the world, we find some 
men who have stood like the mountain oak, reckless 
of the storms that beat around them. There have 
been men firm as the everlasting hills, whom no 
threatenings could terrify, and no wealth could bribe. 



ON WAR. 49 

Such a man was Howard. Like an angel of mercy- 
he flew from prison to prison, searching out the 
abodes of misery, and pouring into the wounded 
spirit the balm of consolation. He could not stop to 
visit the ruins of Rome, or survey the grandeur of 
fallen temples, but like the spirits of other worlds 
he cared not for sumptuous palaces, golden gems or 
glittering crowns, for it was enough for him to dry 
up the tears of sorrow. As the stranger returning 
to his home after years of absence, stops not to view 
the flowers that may chance spring up in his path, 
so Howard urged his footsteps on in his work of 
mercy. 

Behold a Whitefield on European shores ; like 
some small light bursting through the clouds, he 
arose from poverty's deep gloom — became a shining 
star in the atmosphere of Heaven — preached salva- 
tion to his countrymen — moved the marble heart, 
and extracted tears from eyes that could seldom 
weep. Having a desire for the eternal welfare 
of man, he could not confine his labors to Europe, 
but with unequalled zeal, he embarked for the new 
world, and preached in the fair hamlets of America, 
the rich Gospel of the Son of God. 

But lo ! a personage of modern date, whose voice 
of eloquence mingled with grateful strains, melt- 
ed the vile hearts of his audience, and directed their 
visionary eyes to the delectable fields of Heaven — 
a richer paradise than our first parents knew. But 
Summerfield is no more. Ere his meridian glory 
had arisen upon the world, the angel of death had 
received his commission, and the fair prospect of 
this evangelist was terminated forever ! 

Who was it that surpassing the narrow limits 
which had hitherto been set to the mind of man, 
ranged the fair fields of unbounded space, discover- 
ed and explained those laws by which Deity limits, 
binds, and governs all things ? Who was it that 
passed the narrow bounds of Astronomy, hitherto 



50 rice's orations. 

understood, and by his improvement on this science 
discovered the starry worlds, measured their spheres 
and called them by their names ? Who was it thati 
after having travelled the vast amphitheatre of hea- 
ven, passed by unnumbered suns, beheld the sap-- 
phire vaults of glory and mansions of purest ether, 
weighed himself in the balance of God, and laid 
his honor at the feet of Jesus ? It was the immor-- 
tal Newton. 

"Who was it that withdrew the veil which had fort^l 
ages enveloped the world, analyzed the human 
mind, discovered its properties, reduced its opera- 
tions to certain fixed laws, and became a brilliant 
star in the scientific world ? It was the celebrated 
Locke. What more shall I say ? For time would 
fail me to speak of Hale, learned in the law — of 
Bascom, admired in the schools — of Young and 
Pollock, celebrated among the poets — and of Paul, 
the worthy Evangelist of the Gospel. These were 
men worthy of encomium, whose minds almost un- 
bounded, soared towards angelic power, and sought 
the beauties of brighter vision. 

But the mind of man is like its Author, never to 
expire. It was not intended for a momentary be- 
ing in this clay building of earth, and pass from 
time at death's cold embrace into annihilation. It 
must survive the wreck of worlds, and rise higher 
and yet higher still, in the greatness of its strength ; 
for an increase of knowledge is the prerogative of 
the mind in the world to come. The most lofty an- 
gel that blazes around the throne of God, looks 
down upon Christians from his majestic seat, and 
beholds a period in eternity when they shall surpass 
his present glory. If man is formed for such am- 
plifications as these, where shall we place his bounds ? 
Let man remain silent and his Creator tell. 

Let us now cross the isthmus of death, and fol- 
low those heaven-born sons of God to the land of 
rest. Guided by heavenly wisdom they fly from 



ON WAR. 51 

mansion to mansion, and from glory to glory, dart- 
ing the eye of fancy over the expansive fields of 
ether, where the beauties of the Son of righteous- 
ness forbode an eternity of joy. Sparkling with the 
animated vigor of the upper world, they gaze on the 
wonders of the grand machine, glancing the" ex- 
tracted eye of vision over the ethereal creation, until 
die darling beauties of such consummation, impede 
the progressive flight, and lessen the swift survey 
of an intellect, bounded only by an uncreated So- 
v^ereign. They may sail up the winding maze to 
dieir original existence, and by thwarting their me- 
ridian glory, they may soar and soar, on the pro- 
gressive flight of rapture, and find no end to their 
exalted being. When ages on ages shall have roll- 
ed away, when the mandate angel shall have taken 
his flight through Heaven, and lead the flaming 
choir with anthems of adoration to the Lamb, when 
millions of years shall have passed away in the de- 
lectable worship of the Son of God, those heavenly 
spirits may look farther with an all-cheering sight, 
and behold that eternity is just begun. Such is 
the joy of the Christian — but how unlike the war- 
rior's doom. 

Let us now reverse the picture, and follow the 
warrior to the end of human life. Let us see his 
last farewell, as he closes his accounts for eternity 
and shuts his eyes on all things beneath the sun. 
Farewell, green mountains and silver streams, for 
the long, dark, dreary night of death sets in upon 
me, which knows no breaking, no morn beyond it, 
and no star, until the voice of God shall shake earth's 
common grave. Farewell, martial confederates, un- 
til the resurrection morning, when we, from the long 
slumber of many centuries, shall burst the prison of 
death, and appear in the vast congregation of the 
final judgment. Farewell, terrestrial glory, for the 
red lightnings of earth's final conflagration shall 
dart across the azure vault with a gloomy magnifi- 



52 RICE*S ORATIONS. 

cence, such as the world never beheld. Farewell,, 
my children and dear companion, until the com-- 
missioned angel of God shall announce the lastt 
catastrophe of nature, and publish to heaven and I 
er.rth by oath of affirmation, " Time shall be no ) 
longer." 

Most gladly would I now end my story, but I must 
follow the warrior across the bridgeless river and 
meet him at the last judgment. The veil of unbe- 
lief is now withdrawn from his eyes, and he sees 
his mediatorial hour past forever. That Savior who 
died, that the murderer might never die, has stores 
of wrath laid up against him. He stands self-con- 
demned amidst the judgment fires of God Almighty, 
and the Lamb. He becomes speechless at the aw- 
ful tragedy, and waits in despair to hear his last 
great sentence. The Judge assumes his seat and 
declares the retributions of eternity to men and an- 
gels : " Depart ye cursed into everlasting fire." 
Suddenly the warrior takes his flight to the region 
of the damned, where no voice of redemption shall 
ever salute his ear. In this pit of final perdition 
darkness presides. Here the seditious Jews and 
Romans that reiterated the cry of crucifixion against 
the Savior of the world, receive their reward. Here 
the adamantine soldier that pierced the Redeemer's 
side shall be retaliated for all his wrongs, and the 
blood thirsty murderers that nailed him to the cross 
with garments stained in blood. Here the disgrace- 
ful tyrants that have slain the apostles and disciples 
of the great Shepherd of the sheep with injustice, 
shall receive their reward. 

After all my entreaties, I expect millions of war- 
riors will wade through the Gospel of peace to hell. 
No price or petition can induce them to flee their 
approaching doom. Could I withdraw from the war- 
rior that veil which separates time from eternity, 
and excludes the wailings of the damned ! Could 
I fasten his eye on the bloody mantle, that shrouds 



ON WAR. 53 

the wounded spirit, -which spent her day of grace in 
the field of carnage — opposing the peace of God and 
man ! Could I portray to his vision the red waves 
of endless fire, as they roll mountains high forever 
and ever, and beat on the undying sinner the surges 
of eternal death ! Could I inspire his heart with the 
sad reflection of the wounded soul in the world of 
woe, as she looks back on the day of grace forever 
lost ! Could I unfold to him the poor murderer's 
deep-toned wail, as his hope dies at the judgment 
sentence, and he sinks from the approbation of God, 
angels and Heaven ! methinks he would flee the 
field of death, and no longer rejoice in spurning the 
Gospel of his salvation. 

All the hosts of Heaven, and every friend of hu- 
manity, desire the warrior's reform, and fervently 
pray that those weapons of War, which have spilt 
rivers of blood, will soon be transmitted to eternal 
oblivion. The most powerful motives that can be 
drawn from three worlds. Heaven, earth and hell, 
call the warrior, like the voice of seven thunders, 
back to his native element. The society of saints 
and angels — the harps of gold — the songs of the 
New Jerusalem — the consolation of the Holy Spirit, 
and all the riches of Heaven, invite him to turn to 
God, and lay up his treasures above. The watei*s 
of salvation — the Tree of Life, and all the glories 
of the upper sanctuary, call him to flee from the 
wrath to come. And will he refuse the salvation of 
his soul ? If so, I must leave him to enter the abode 
of dying spirits — to plough the lake of fire, and 
wail in chains of lost hope, where tears of mercy 
shall never fall — where the blood of atonement na 
more shall salute his ear ; but death — eternal death I 
and the society of lost angels shall be his portion 
forever. 

We have seen the fruits of the warrior in this 
vale of tears. We have followed him from his cra- 
dle to the tomb. We have passed over the river 



*5 



54 rice's orations. 

Jordan and described his undying woes, if he dies • 
without hope. We have also seen the friend of 
peace as he journeys to his gloomy sepulchre. We 
have followed him to the spirit land, and beheld his 
glory beyond the grave. And in viewing the sub- 
ject, we see an awful contrast between the peace- 
maker and the warrior. The one breathes conta- 
gion and death ! The other expands his wings of 
mercy. Over one rest clouds and darkness ! Over 
the other, the Star of Bethlehem, and the Gospel of 
peace. One makes his bed in hell ! While the 
other looks with an eye single for the joys beyond 
the tomb. 

Many are led to. believe there is no better way of 
settling contentions between nations, than by the 
sword. But this imagination is nought but the 
phantasm of the brain, and expires like the sound 
of the bell floating on the breeze. To use the sword, 
will only add fuel to the fire already enkindled, 
while the waters of condescension will immediately 
quench the flame. Difficulties between nations 
should be settled by Arbitration, and not by the 
shedding of blood. This should be one of the laws 
embodied in the constitution of every nation or king- 
dom on the globe. If this were the case, how easy 
would the small fires of malice be quenched, which 
so often end in general devastation and death. Let 
this principle be adopted, and the conflagrations of 
War will soon be extinguished from the world, and 
the balmy wings of peace and mercy cover the 
globe. 



ORATION III. 
ON THE ATONEMENT. 

Who gave Himself a Ransom for all-"— 1 Timothy ii. 6. 



When man was created by the finger of God, he 
bore the pure image of his Maker, and was happy 
in the garden of Eden — his heart was full of re- 
joicing, and beat high in anticipation of a glorious 
immortality. But how soon his hope expired, his 
happiness blasted, and his prospect of future bliss 
lost forever ! How fatal was that treason which 
drove him from his Paradise — brought death into the 
world, and all our wo — excluded the approbation of 
God to man, and left him under the doleful execra- 
tion of his disobedience ! He was expelled from 
the garden, became a stranger to virtue, and a lost 
alien to God. Those joys which would have been 
his forever, by fatal transgression died ; and his 
glorious hope, once founded on a Rock, has been 
transmitted to the grave of oblivion, while his me- 
ridian sun set in the gloom of night. This is the 
direful history of man — this the gloomy dirge of his 
mortality. 

Now methinks the light of Heaven is excluded, 
and mankind without hope. His lost Paradise seems 
irrevocable, and a ransom is beyond his power. If 
he gives his body as a sacrifice for sin, it cannot re- 
deem his soul from death. Though he may shed 
the blood of beasts on the altar, as an oblation for 
his guilt, it will not appease the vengeance of God, 
nor expiate for one of his transgressions ; for it must 



56 rice's orations. 

needs be a perfect sacrifice to atone for the guilty. All 
the offerings ever offered up to God in the antedilu- 
vian world, had in themselves no efficacy to pardon 
sin, but were set forth as a type of Him who was to 
suffer without the gates of Jerusalem, and " make 
an offering once for all." Thus we see man plung- 
ed in the gloom of night, chained in his prison of 
moral darkness, having lost communion with his 
Maker, and possesses no power to recall it. 

But at length the commiseration of Heaven mov- 
ed for a guilty world. The Almighty spoke by in- 
terrogation in the courts above, saying, " Who will 
descend to the realm of man — endure his infamy — 
by him be buffeted and put to death, to save a world 
of sinners lost ?" As this question pervaded through 
the heavenly mansions, methinks the Ij^'es of an- 
gels ceased, and all was silence in Heaven, wonder- 
ing at this astonished scene. Not an angel among 
all the heavenly hosts could answer the question. 
At length the Son of God appeared, and with a 
voice sweeter than seraphs use, proclaimed — " Lo 
I come, as it is written, to do thy will, O my God !" 
At this answer, which promised salvation to the sin- 
ner, methinks angels again tuned their harps, and 
sung in higher notes of rapture to his name, in an- 
ticipation of an increase to their celestial throng. 

From the height of majesty, glory, and superla- 
tive bliss, the Son of God descended, was clad for 
a season in the garments of mortality, and took his 
abode among the children of men, degenerated in 
Adam's fall. Vast was his condescension. He by 
whom all things were created ; whose omnipotent 
energy pervades eternity, and presides with the Fa- 
ther over all creation, was pleased in satisfying 
Divine justice to withdraw from his sceptre, and 
endure the burlesque of an insidious world, that he 
might redeem them by his sufferings, and bring 
them home to God. Exercised with tender commise- 
ration for our race, he left the society of angels, cast 



ON THE ATONEMENT. 57 

off his royal diadem, and with speedy flight urged 
his passage to this lower world, proving himself to 
be the greatest Messenger that ever visited the abode 
of man. 

Let us follow the star to Bethlehem, where the 
Son of God first manifested himself incarnate ! Be- 
hold he is born in a stable, and cradled in a manger, 
where the horned ox was wont to feed ! No room 
could be found in the Inn, for this glorious person- 
age from Heaven. Man was too proud to welcome 
the Savior in his humble advent. The Jews looked 
for his appearance in all the grandeur of his power; 
and, therefore, would not receive him. But they 
were disappointed in their expectation concerning 
the Messiah. Instead of appearing in the splendor 
of the upper world, he took upon him the form of a 
servant ; he became of no reputation — and therefore 
was looked upon with contempt by the wicked 
Jews. 

Angels at our Savior's appearance left the celes- 
tial city — passed the portal gates, and with hasty 
precipitation descended to this lower world, loudly 
proclaiming to the shepherds the birth of the Babe 
of Bethlehem — filling the air with their heavenly 
notes — exclaiming, " Glory to God in the highest, 
peace on earth, and good will to men." Well might 
these angels be filled with flaming fire, when they 
saw a lost world about to be redeemed, and a vast 
number of aliens converted to their ethereal choir, to 
surround the throne of God, in ascribing all glory 
and honor to the Lamb, who was then appear- 
ing for their everlasting salvation. This con- 
gratulation of angels shows there is rejoicing 
with them in Heaven "over one sinner that re 
penteth." 

It seems the Savior had greater mercy for us 
than for those apostate angels who trespassed on 
the laws of Heaven, and incurred the displeasure 
of God ; for which they are " Reserved under 



58 rice's orations. i 

chains of darkness, unto the Judgment of thet 
great day." Then- sins being so much greater than 
man's, that to them the gate of mercy is closed for- 
ever. 

We are informed but little about the life of ouri 
Savior until he arrived at the age of twelve years. 
At this time he began to display his wonderful pow- 
ers of mind, by conversing among the learned in the.' 
Temple — hearing them and asking them questions., 
Doubtless he was subject unto his parents, until he^ 
b.egan to announce the great work for which he de-- 
scended from Heaven. 

But a little further, and we behold the tragical! 
scene for which Jesus left the bosom of his Father, 
and took his abode among the children of men. Ai 
scene which burst the strong hold of iniquity, and! 
made it possible for man to escape from its dark 
dominions. The barred gate, which the apostacy 
of man had shut, flew wide — the road to the portals 
of Paradise became unobstructed, and again made ; 
spontaneous for the sons of men. At such a scene 
as this, well might the darkness recede — the light 
of Heaven shine — and the beatific splendor of the 
Son of God beam with brilliancy on the apostate race 
of Adam. 

Reader, I am now going about the most tremend- 
ous transaction ever witnessed by man. It is the 
passion of the LAMB of GOD — " who was seen of 
angels — believed on by Gentiles — preached unto the 
world — and reascended into glory ; who is the 
brightness of the Father, and the express image of 
his person ; by whom God made the worlds, and 
by whom all things consist ; having purged our 
sins, and wrought out everlasting salva'tion for all 
who believe ;" which salvation is now in contem- 
plation. 

my soul ! follow thy Savior to the first and last 
sufferings that were ever introduced for the salvation 
of man ! Follow him to the garden of Gethsemane, 



ON THE ATONEMENT. 59 

where agonizing groans were pressed from his bo- 
som, as he sweat great drops of blood, which fell to 
the ground! Behold him pouring forth an ejacula- 
tion to Heaven, ere the wicked and seditious clan 
led him to Pilate's bar ! See that catastrophe which 
makes Heaven weep that man might smile, and Je- 
sus bleed that man might never die ! Witness the 
Darling of Heaven, now burdened with that load 
which would have crushed a world to hell, drinking 
the bitter cup of the wrath of God ! But lo ! the 
blessed Jesus — the glorious personage of Heaven-7- 
bears in his own body the guilt due to man ! For- 
saken by his disciples, and partially forsaken by his 
Father, he breathed forth his mighty prayer, while 
the purple tide in streams of mercy gushed through 
every pore ! Here the load of guilt, that binds the 
sinner in endless death, pressed heavily on the Son 
of God ! Here the chains that manacle in darkness 
the deathless spirit, burst in sunder by virtue of his 
blood ! And while in this awful tragedy, one of his 
own chosen lifts up his heel against him, and sells 
his Master to the wicked Jews. Jesus ends his prayer 
to God, and Judas the traitor betrays him with a 
kiss, while the multitude, with staves in their hands, 
lead him away to the court of the Jews ! Ye angels 
of glory, tell me if ye can, if such mercy was ever 
found, except in the bosom of the Son of God? What 
tongue can describe that scene, which God alone 
could display ? no minor power — an angel's pen 
must prove deficient there ! 

The love of the blessed Jesus surpasses all human 
understanding. Often in the forest, where no mor- 
tal beheld him, he has offered up prayers for sinners, 
and abundantly labored for their recovery. The 
cold mountains and surging billows have witnessed 
his kind devotion, and fervent prayers for a guilty 
world. He was often seen to weep, but never seen 
to laugti. The Jews resisted his tears, which he 
had shed over their city, even unto death. I behold 



60 rice's orations. 

him at the grave of Lazarus weeping with those 
who wept. He cried with the voice of God, " Laz- 
arus come forth ;" and death immediately gave 
up his prey. Thus we see the boundless love of 
Jesus exhibited from the cradle to the tomb. 

Let us now follow our Redeemer to the most tra- 
gical scene that was ever passed on earth ! Follow 
him to Pilate's bar, where the envious Jews would 
fain crucify the Lord of life — crying " away with 
him — it is not fit that he should live !" Thus the 
Judge of all the earth received sentence by frail 
mortals — by them was nailed to the cross, and by 
this seditious faction was crucified and slain. Pilate, 
unwilling to put him to death, delivered him into 
the hands of the Jews and Romans, to do as they 
would, finding no fault in the man. Now they be- 
gin their mockery, by striping him quite naked ! 
They crown him with a wreath of thorns, to satiate 
the infernal malice of the faction, and beat them in- 
to his sacred temples, until his face is besmeared 
with gore ! See his back with lashes torn, stream- 
ing with blood, by which we are healed ! This is 
he, who " was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and 
as a sheep dumb before her shearers, so he opened 
not his mouth. In his humiliation his judgment 
was taken away, and who shall declare his genera- 
tion ?" He arose the steep ascent of persecution — 
" He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men." 
This is the Lord, mighty in his strength, vast in 
Redemption, and strong to save. 

At length he ascends the summit of Calvary, 
where he makes Heaven marvel, and all but vicious 
men and angels lament his final groans ! As he 
ascends the mount, he faints under the ponderous 
load ; and " they compel a Cyrenean to bear the 
cross with Jesus." The soldiers dig the hole in 
which the cross is to be erected — they nail him to 
the same, and rear it up. He is now a solemn'spec- 
tacle to Heaven and earth, expiring the ignominious 



ON THE ATONEMENT. 61 

death of a malefactor — yet pure as the TREE of 
LIFE ! 

Where shall we find parallel sufferings to those 
on Calvary? Pervade earth, Heaven, and hell, and 
no such scene arises to our view. "It is true, for a 
good man some would dare to die ; hut while we 
were yet sinners Christ died for the ungodl}^," No- 
thing would satisfy the vindictive justice of the Al- 
mighty's wrath on merited man, but the vital fluid of 
the SON of GOD. He drank the cup of sufferings 
even to its dregs, that we may he blameless at the 
day of retribution ; having the righteousness of 
Christ through faith unto salvation. 

Was ever love like this ? Was ever benevolence 
so far extended ere this grand transaction ? When 
the ponderous hammer beat the nails through his 
hands, instead of crying out with the keen agonies 
they extorted, he meekly endured it with prayers for 
his cruel murderers. It was his groans, his heart- 
felt sufferings, and the load of guilt he bore for us, 
which opened the gate to Heaven, and purchased 
that pardon which makes the hell-bound sinner 
free. 

As his expiring groans drew near, and the Lamb 
of God was about to languish in the icy arms of 
death, the scene was too big for nature to witness ; 
she hid her face in sable gloom, and at the sight 
withdrew. The vast Luminary of heaven, whose 
light was never excluded except at short intervals 
since the organization of the solar system, now re- 
fused to shine for the space of three hours. At the 
great phenomenon of our Savior's passion, the dead 
could not sleep — bursting from their shrines, many 
of the saints appeared in Jerusalem. The veil of the 
Temple was rent in twain, from top to bottom — the 
rocks rent — and methinks the whole earth, while 
clad in mourning, shook to her centre at this tre- 
mendous scene. 

At the time of execution, a mother's heart was 



62 rice's orations. 

there. She saw her Savior and her God in the ago- 
nies of death. Her soul was depressed with a pon- 
derous load — her heart was ready to burst with an- 
guish — her bosom writhed with sorrow for her Son, 
now in the atoning crisis for nefarious man. Dear 
was that affection which bound her heart to the in- 
carnate Savior. Shall a mother forget her Son, 
when dying groans assail, and separation draweth 
near ? 

What language can describe her mournful silence, 
as she sat by the cross, with her eyes directed to the 
fatal tree, where hung her hope — the solace of her 
care ? " And must this Son, in whom is heaven, 
leave me to mark my future life with sorrows seal- 
ed by his expiring groans ? Can I give up the dar- 
ling of my heart, and roam this inclement world, 
where murderers thirst for blood ?" But, alas ! He 
died. She heard his final prayer — bewailed his fatal 
sufferings — her blood was chilled with the mournful 
tragedy. Confounded by the rueful scene, she be- 
dewed the foot of the cross with tears. She writhed 
with convulsive pain. Her soul was in an agony. 
At length Jesus exclaimed from the fatal tree, in ac- 
cents mild, " Woman, behold thy Son ;" and to that 
disciple whom he loved, " Behold thy Mother j" 
then bade a hostile world adieu. 

Wonder, O my soul ! that sinners could remain 
adamant at that solemn groan which veiled the sun 
in darkness, and hid his beams from our opacious 
world ! Solemn silence appeared, as if the work of 
God was mourning for the wickedness of man, and 
the machine of nature faint by the wonderful dis- 
plays of Calvary. Every countenance bore the in- 
dex of a smitten conscience, and the marvelous ex- 
hibition pervaded the creature man. The affrighted 
fowls of the air fled with haste to their benighted 
habitations — the grazing herds retired from their 
pastures, and gazed with wonder on the untimely 
darkness around them. The beasts of the forest 



ON THE ATONEMENT. 63 

repaired with speed to their caverns, and all but 
man believed the nocturnal shades had appeared. 

At this catastrophe, nature changed her beaute- 
ous colors for the sable garb of mourning. The sky, 
adorned with pleasing azure, was inverted for the 
gloom of night. Angels that surround the throne 
of God changed their song of adoration, to the grave 
elegy of Heaven expired, and reclined their heads 
upon the cloud of misery, bedewed with redeeming 
blood. The infernal angels and wicked spirits w^ere 
humming their hostile songs of joy, and hellish vic- 
tory, over the plastic Father's Son. They echo 
the theme through our world, " The Prince of life 
is slain," while devils incarnate promulgate " amen." 

Awake, my soul, to thy Savior's dying pangs ! A 
sudden trembling shook the ground ! Mount Cal- 
vary vibrated with amazement, and the vaults of the 
dead were lajd open ! Great was the concussion — 
the rocks cleaved asunder — the graves expanded — 
the dead were borne from thence in triumph, while 
the convicted sinner shook with dread alarm ! Sure- 
ly a God was there ; for chance never revolted from 
order in creation, to cause the miracles witnessed at 
the death of Heaven's Son ! 

The darkness that covered Judea was well known 
to be supernatural, for it made a Heathen philoso- 
pher exclaim, " Either the world is at an end, or 
the God of nature suffers." Those that beheld the 
sufferings of our Savior and saw them accompanied 
with such a wonderful exhibition of miraculous pow- 
er, smote their breast and returned to their dwellings 
with minds of pensive gloom. O Jerusalem ! Jeru- 
salem ! thou hast slain the prophets and apostles I 
and to render thy case doubly dreadful ! thou hast 
crucified the Savior of all thy mercies, and sealed 
thy eternal doom. 

After our Savior poured forth his last groans upon 
the cross, and had yielded up his spirit into the hands 
of his almighty Father, a soldier, either out of wan- 



64 rice's orations. 

tonness or envy, pierced our Redeemer's side, from 
whence the blood and water flowed in ample streams, 
to perfect that Atonement for which our Savior left 
the courts of Heaven. It is said by some, the spear 
reached his heart ; be that as it may, it doubtless 
reached the pericardium, which would have put an 
end to his existence, had he not before expired. This 
came to pass in agreement with ancient prophecy. 
" They shall look on him whom they have pierced, 
and mourn." 

When this rueful scene had ended — when the 
Lord of glory had bidden valediction to the clay 
tenement then expanded on the tree of death, and 
angels had hailed his happy spirit to his celestial 
kingdom, Joseph of Arimathea, went boldly unto Pi- 
late and " craved the body of Jesus." Being assist- 
ed by Nicodemus, they took his bod}^, embalmed it 
with spices, and laid it in a sepulchre, wherein never 
man was laid. 

O death ! never did thy dark domain contain 
such a prisoner before ! But how short was thy 
boasted victory ? Scarce three days had expired be- 
fore thy icy chains gave way, and thou didst stand 
afar off, like an enemy put to flight, as this mighty 
Conqueror bursts through Joseph's tomb, and tri- 
umphed over the grave. Jesus, once a pale and 
bloody corpse, pressed the floor of the gloomy sepul- 
chre. Jesus arose from his bed of death with power 
far surpassing that of Samson, when he awoke from 
a transient slumber. Pilate's guard at his resurrec- 
tion, fell like dead men around the tomb. This tells 
the climax in the history of our Savior — this com 
pletes the work of man's Redemption. And in spite 
of all the malice of the Jews, who by their treach- 
ery, bribed the soldiers to publish a fiction to the 
world, the truth and power of his resurrection has 
been wielded by the finger of God, and will survive 
the ages of time, and forever live on the records of 
immortality. 



ON THE ATONEMENT. 65 

As he arose from the grave, I behold a female form 
with spirit born of God. She weeps for the depar- 
ture of one she loves. Her hope has almost expired, 
for she has lost her only Savior. The gloom of night 
shrouds her soul as she bends over the grave of Je- 
sus. She looks with startled eyes, for her Lord is 
not there. Again she lets fall the bitter tear, and 
turns about to leave the tomb in search of her Mas- 
ter. While weeping she beholds a man she had often 
seen before, but she knew him not. He said unto 
her, " Mary !" At this well known voice, hope re- 
vived, and the dark cloud of despair gave way as she 
embraced her Savior. 

O my soul ! take sanctuary under the TREE of 
LIFE ! be cheered by the exhilarating brilliancy of 
its wings, then, though the elements shall melt with 
fervent heat, and the heavens be inverted into the 
dark profoundity of annihilation ; though the wicked 
take their bed in hell, and damned spirits bewail their 
sad destiny to all eternity ; hid in this saving pavil- 
ion, thou shalt be wafted through the gloom, and in 
Jordan's swellinsf waves, anofels shall escort thee 
to that supernal city, paved with richest gold, and 
filled with a vast number of the blood-washed 
throng. 

Thus we see what the blessed Jesus has done for 
guilty man. When he was clothed in his garments 
of mire and pollution — when he was exposed to the 
vengeance of God's holy law — under the penalty of 
eternal death, and could make no expiation for his 
crimes, Jesus, the sinner's Friend, who alone could 
atone for transgressions, took upon him the nature of 
man — became his substitute, and endured the most 
Ignominious death of the cross, to make an Atone- 
ment for the sins of the world, and bring man into 
a salvable state, whereby his iniquities might be for- 
given, and his soul saved through repentance, and 
faith in his Redeemer, in endless life beyond the 
grave. On these premises we see God and man 



*6 



66 rice's orations. 

reconciled by the blood of Jesus, for thus it is writ- 
ten, " He that believeth on the Son, hath evertlast- 
ing life." 

After our Savior had finished the great Atone- 
ment by his resurrection from the grave, short was 
his stay on earth. Earth was too mean, too low a 
habitation to contain him longer. Scarce forty days 
had expired, until he led his disciples out as far as 
Bethany, and gave them his last verbal commission. 
The pensive scene of separation was now at hand. 
And v/hile he yet spake, behold a bright cloud ap- 
peared, in which he ascended out of sight. As he 
soared aloft, two men stood by them in white ap- 
parel, which said, " Ye men of Gallilee, why stand 
ye gazing up into Heaven ? this same Jesus shall 
so come again in like manner as he now ascend 
eth." 

Jesus has trod the dreadful path and smoothed it 
for our passport. Jesus sleeping in the mansion of 
the tomb, has brightened the way, and left a conso- 
ling perfume in the dismal beds of the dust. He 
that partakes the efficacy of a Savior's blood need 
not fear the summons of the king of terrors — being 
clothed upon by the God of all grace, he may ex- 
claim with David, " Though I pass through the dark 
valley and shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for 
thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me." Jordan's 
bridgeless river, is the only way that conveys any of 
the lost race to Heaven, for his ransom only eman- 
cipates from the second death. 

At the shrine of this Atonement all human ambi- 
tion dies — the ensanguined conqueror pauses — the 
royal crown falls from the imperial grasp — the blos- 
som dies in the patriot's garland — the Jewish phi- 
lacteries expire, and all the wealth and honors of 
the world are lighter than air, when compared to 
the blessed Gospel. 

By the sufferings of the cross the Heathen gods 
begin to tremble — the Ganges ceases to mingle with 



ON THE ATONEMENT. 67 

the blood of her victims — the spell of Brahma is 
dissolving — the wheels of Juggernaut are scarce 
ensanguined — the custom of self-immolation is fast 
expiring — the warrior hastens to the Gospel stand- 
ard — Africa begins to rise from her degradation- 
the news of the Atonement breaks in upon her, 
while the benighted sons and daughters of the Gen- 
tile world, are emerging from darkness into light. 
Such is the power of this redemption which brings 
hope to man. 

But for whom was the vast exhibition of the Sa- 
vior's sufferings ? For whom was the unparalleled 
majesty of his resurrection displayed, when he burst 
the grave and triumphed over his great and last 
enemy ? It was for all the lost race of Adam. For 
all those persons of pollution, who by nature are 
strangers to God, and live without hope in the world. 
For it is written, "That he died for all, and rose 
again." " That he is the propitiation for our sins, 
and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole 
world." " That he gave himself a ransom for all, 
to be testified in due time." And when ang-els suno^ 
" Glory to God in the highest, peace on earth and 
good will to men," their love was universal, for 
they saw the remedy was adequate to the disease 
of man. But again we see it recorded in the sacred 
volume, " Behold the LAMB of GOD, that taketh 
away the sins of the world." Here the rich news 
of Heaven salutes the sinner's ear. Here the doc- 
trine confirmed by the eternal Savior, commiserates 
the woes of man, and the waters of the River of 
Life have become free as the limpid stream. There 
is no contraction in this vast Atonement, for it ex- 
tends to every quarter of the globe, where sin has 
contaminated the human race. 

Behold the sufferer who is sentenced to his gloomy 
cell, in the lonely prison through life. His hope is 
lost to all future exemption. Horrible gloom covers 
his soul, and the chains of his fatal destiny clangor 



68 

on his ear. The news of pardon suddenly reaches 
his abode. The messenger bears the glad tidings 
of his reprieve, and flashes of light greet his trou- 
bled soul. His chains fall off. He leaps like the 
bounding roe, and again breathes the pure atmos- 
phere of freedom among his brethren. But how 
faint the emblem ? I see the sinner in his mire and 
pollution. He is covered with wounds, bruises, and 
putrifying sores. The sentence of death is upon 
him, and no created arm can save him from his fatal 
execution. But his woes are magnified beyond the 
shores of time. The groans of eternal death must 
swell the history of his last destiny. Those fires 
that never shall be quenched, shall increase his suf- 
ferings, " Where the w^orm dieth not," and hope 
never comes. But suddenly the light of Heaven 
breaks in upon him. The sound of man's redemp- 
tion echoes through the upper world, and angels 
quickly bear the news to earth which swells the 
song of victory and brings hope to man. " Right- 
eousness and truth have met together." " Mercy 
and peace have kissed each other." 

But all the commiseration of the Son of God — 
the ponderous agony which he endured in Geth- 
semane — his sufferings on the brow of Calvary — his 
resurrection from Joseph's sepulchre — his interces- 
sion with the Father, and all the glories of the up- 
per world, cannot save the sinner from the wrath to 
come, except he forsakes his sins and gives up his 
heart to God. The Savior has done all he can, con- 
sistent with his own nature, for the salvation of man 
in the world to come. All the invitations of the 
Gospel — the Spirit of God — the prayers of Chris- 
tians — the groans of Calvary, and the agonies of 
hell, conspire to urge the sinner to turn to God and 
lay up his treasure in the fair climes above. But in 
spite of all the warnings of Scripture — the remorse 
of conscience, and the eternal groans of lost spirits, 
he is determined to make his bed in hell, and lay 



ON THE ATONEMENT. 69 

down in eternal sorrows. Follow him, O my soul ! 
to his last destiny. Behold him across the isthmus 
of death, chained by demons, ready to make his 
plunge in the lake of jfire. He enters his dark do- 
main, never to rise again. He looks back on the 
shores of time, with sorrows not to be repeated or 
ever forgotten. The love of Jesus — his bloody sweat 
in the garden — his prayer on the cross, forever ring 
with lost hope on his dying ear. Such must be his 
lamentation in the long dreary night of eternity ! 
Such the sinner's doom if he rejects the offered 
mercy of his Savior. 

But if the sinner loses Heaven, he loses all things. 
The song of redemption chanted by saints above 
shall never salute his ear. The ambrosial fields of 
the sons of God, shall never greet his eyes. The 
pure waters of the River of Life, shall never slake 
his thirst for bliss. The delicious fruit of the Tree 
of Life will be excluded from his presence, and no 
jubilee shall ever cheer his deathless soul. The 
glory of angels that congratulate each other from the 
tops of the holy mountains, shall be forever lost to 
his vision, and in its stead the cries of lost spirits 
shall pierce his heart. All the splendor of the New 
Jerusalem — her streets of richest gold — her walls of 
ambrosial sculpture, and the fair harps of Heaven, 
on which angels sing the eternal song of thanks- 
giving to God and the Lamb, shall be lost to the 
sinner if he dies without hope. All heaven is lost. 
Too late he begins his wailing and tears ! for his 
chains of perdition are commensurate to the wrath 
of God, and no boon of Calvary or redemption 
through the sinner's Friend, shall ever enter the 
abode of lost spirits with the rich news of exemption 
for the gloomy prisoner. The mercy he has slight- 
ed — the Savior he has spurned, and all the bliss 
of celestial spirits will roll mountains high, and swell 
his cries as he makes his last plunge in the lake 
of fire. 



70 RICE S ORATIONS. 

But how can I leave the eternity-bound sinner in 
his guih and poUution, for whom mercy pleads, and 
for whom Jesus bled and died ? sinner ! I anti- 
cipate thy fearful doom, if thou pursueth even unto 
death the inclinations of thy wicked heart. The 
clouds of darkness will soon gather around thee, 
amidst the volcanoes of the resurrection morning, 
and the fiery indignation of the last Judgment. 
And although thy soul and body ere that day may 
be separated, and take their positions, one in the 
grave, and the other in the spirit's abode of final 
destiny; yet the voice of the last trumpet shall awake 
thy slumbering dust, and summon thy spirit from 
her gloomy realm, to form a reunion, never to be 
separated. 

Methinks I hear the sinner's cry in the last 
phenomena of nature, " Rocks and mountains fall on 
me, and hide me from the face of him who sits upon 
the throne." " Ye waves of the ocean roll over me, 
that I may be shrouded from the presence of my. 
Judge." " Let me fall into annihilation, that I may 
escape the woes of my eternal sufferings, and have 
no knowledge of future sorrows." But in vain he 
puts up his maniac prayer; for justice shall preside 
through all the councils of God, and the rich grace 
he once slighted shall be turned into wrath against 
him. 

But are there no charms for sinners in the great 
exhibition of the cross ? Can there not be found a 
lenient balm that pardons deviation, and soothes the 
mourning prisoner ? Yes, ye blood-bought and im- 
mortality-bound sinners, for whom Jesus died, your 
hope is expanded on the cursed tree, where just be- 
neath vast mountains fall by the deep groans your 
Savior bore. When you were with intrepidity stem- 
ming the crimsoned torrent for endless death ; when 
your feet were placed on the crumbling margin, 
and the billows of devouring fire were rolling 
just below; when there was not a span between 



II 



ON THE ATONEMENT. 71 

3'ou and that death which never dies, a Savior's 
pity moved and saved you from, the flames. 

O sinners ! could I attract your attention to the 
gloomy garden, and to the summit of Calvary, where 
hangs your peril or safe-guard through future years ! 
Could I fix your minds with that sensitive vision a 
spirit feels, when condemned by a holy law ! Could 
I spread before you the cruel and unjust pangs of 
Heaven incarnate, when darkness veiled our globe ! 
In a word, could I show you your wretched situation 
b}^ nature, and what you must be by grace to es- 
cape the wrath to come, methinks ye would no 
longer trample under foot the cries of mercy, or 
rejoice in wading through a Savior's BLOOD to 
HELL! 

Perhaps you are by this time led to think my ex- 
hortation is too extreme. But being conscious now 
is the only time for your escape, I cannot by evasion 
bury the truth in oblivion, which if you die in your 
Ipresent situation will rise up in judgment against 
lyour never dying souls. Then it will be too late to 
iproclaim salvation, for the door of mercy will be shut 
jagainst you, and a Savior's blood will no longer fol- 
low after with the voice of pardon. Come, fellow 
sinners, and try redeeming love. Bury the weap- 
ons of rebellion, and by the fountain of salvation re- 
ceive ablution from all your sins. The voice of 
mercy now invites you to the Well of Life. Mercy 
pleads on your behalf, and desires your exemption 
from the fall. Sheath the dirk that will soon lavish 
your blood, and convey you to the woes of eternal 
pain. Be no longer a branch of that vine which 
produces bitter fruit ; but be engrafted into the 
true vine, which contributes life and joy to the 
soul. 

I must now leave the sinner, and would to God I 
could leave him in the arms of my Savior, that he 
might be counted worthy to escape the wrath to come, 
and make one of that happy nnmber that shall shine 



72 rice's orations. 

in Heaven, " as the stars of the firmament, forever 
and ever," 

A word to the soldiers of the Cross, and I have dotif> 
Ye Christian followers of the Lord ! You have 
traced the life of your Savior from the cradle to the 
tomb. You have seen his resurrection from the deaci, 
and his ascension into Heaven. You have also be 
held the misery of the sinner, if he dies without 
hope. Drop one grateful tear at the mournful exhi- 
bition you have witnessed, and set out with doubh- 
diligence for Canaan's happy land. Imbibe a reso 
lution to leave this worthless world behind, with all 
that earth calls good or great. When you were in 
the open field of pollution, and no mortal could re- 
deem you from the precipice on which you tottered ; 
when your feet stood upon the gliding mountain of 
sin and error, from which a small concussion would 
have precipitated you into the dark mansion of eter- 
nal death ! when there was but a step between you 
and everlasting burnings, a Savior ushered in his 
richest grace by innocent blood, which saves you 
from the calid flame, and confirms to you, through 
obedience, a joyful region in the skies. Had it not 
been for your ransom by the scenes of Calvary, 
where would be your hope ? Lost in oblivion to all 
the joys of Heaven. You were condemned by that 
law which could not be appeased by the blood of 
beasts, or the vital fluid of man. Your condition 
would have remained entirely hopeless, had not 
the door of mercy been expanded by the tragedy 
of the garden, and the expiring groans of the 
Cross. 

If so much has been done for you, fellow Chris- 
tians ; if the ransom of your liberty cost nothing less 
than the groans of Heaven ! I admonish you by the 
voice of reason, be not backward in the service of 
your Lord. Let your lamps be well trimmed and 
burning, that you may show forth to the world that 
you are bound for a city out of sight, " whose maker 



ON THE ATONEMENT. 73 

and builder is God." You need not be ashamed of 
your espousal to the Lamb ; for he is worthy of 
your utmost attention, and most pious service. He 
claims your highest interest, and demands your 
homage at the peril of your souls. What has he 
not done to bless and to save you ? His mercy in- 
terposed on your behalf, while justice slept — razed 
the strong-hold of death, by the bringing in a better 
hope ; and embalmed the grave with odors, bought 
with blood ! In him, fellow Christians, is your only 
security, your everlasting joy. 

You are engaged in a cause pleasing to angels. 
Every holy being in the universe of God rejoices in 
your pious devotion, your enrolment in the cause of 
Ghrist, your endeavors for the spread of the Gospel, 
and your everlasting welfare. Be not weary in well 
doing ; for you will reap an eternal reward if you 
faint not, when Christ shall be revealed from Hea- 
ven, wiih crowns of victory for all his faithful wor- 
shippers. Be not discouraged, though the world op- 
pose you in the cause of Christ ; for you know that 
such opposition existed when your Redeemer was 
on earth. Let not your hearts faint in the service 
of him who has done so much for you ; but rather 
the more diligently persevere ; " That you may be 
called the children of your Father which is in Hea- 
ven," and stand upon that Rock which remains im- 
pregnable, and will stand the test when our flaming 
world shall be one general mass of fire. 

Eternity-bound souls ! the time is short until our 
probation must cease, and we leave a world of im- 
mortal beings, bound for the bar to which we are 
fast hastening — the greater part in the dark laby- 
rinth of superstition, vice, and error. Every pass- 
ing moment — every heaving breath — every throb- 
bing motion of the heart — curtail our transient term 
of life, and bring us nearer the period when no eja- 
culation can ascend to Heaven, or admonitions of 
caution be imparted to the multitude of immortal 



74 rice's orations. 

souls living without Christ in the world. Could we 
live in reference to eternity, how would this nether 
world sink beneath our feet, and all its objects in 
brighter visions lost ? How should we be excited in 
the publication of that news, purchased by a once 
crucified and again risen Savior — flying from house 
to house, and from city to city, announcing the glad 
notice to the unconverted number, of free salvation 
from the wrath to come ? 

Time is short ! O ye fellow workers with Jesus, 
let the weight of eternity rest upon you — let the 
cries of a Savior's blood cease not to be published 
with your voices to surrounding sinners, as long as 
you have breath ; for in so doing you may be able 
to extinguish the cry of neglect at the judgment day. 
If we trifle away this transient day of time in the 
neglect of Gospel requirements, what shall we do 
at the day of retribution, when a Savior will be 
ashamed of us before the angels of Heaven ? Every 
moment is big with eternal realities. Ever}?" step 
we take — every act we perform, and every transpir- 
ing thought, are recorded in the book of final de- 
cision, by the unerring pen of the great Testator. 
Let us " work while the day lasts, for the night 
Cometh when no man can work." Do we love im- 
mortal souls ? If so, how can we sleep, when ere 
the setting sun, many departing spirits will take 
their bed in hell by the seal of death ? We see 
multitudes of the human race slighting their only 
hope of happiness, and shall we hide the lamp of 
Heaven from their sight ? If so, their blood will be 
required at our hands. 

Ye Christian pilgrims of God! To you I make 
my last appeal ! and if you ever felt grief for an- 
other's wo, you must feel on this solemn occasion ! 
You are called to witness the death-bed of a sinner, 
whose iniquities have been arrayed before him by 
all the terrors of a broken law, and the conviction 
of a guilty soul ! He looks back on his past life, 



ON Christ's second advent, 75 

and the burden of sin rolls mountains high, while 
arrows of deep conviction pierce his heart ! He 
looks forward, and in a few moments expects his day 
of life will terminate forever ! He raves like a ma- 
niac within the walls of his clay tenement — while 
'kath pursues him close through every lane of life ! 
The waves of guilt and pollution roll on behind him, 
while demons around his bed are waiting to bear 
his spirit to the abodes of the damned ! In these 
his dying emotions, he struggles hard for retreat, 
but finds no refuge from the approaching storm ! 
He exclaims, under his conscious load of guilt, and 
his day of grace expired, " Oh, time ! time ! how 
art thou fled forever !" Thus, he has lost his day 
of mercy, while his meridian sun sinks in the gloom 
of niofht ! 



ORATION IV. 
ON CHRIST'S SECOND ADVENT. 



And these shall go away into everlasting punishment ; but the righteous 
into life eternal."'- Maitheio xxv. 46. 



When I contemplate the works of nature's God- 
when I behold the wonders of creation in endless 
variety — when I see mountains and lakes, rivers and 
oceans, valley and vegetation, man and beast, and 
the vast multitudes of monsters in the watery deep, 
that dart their way through the sunless medium — 
when I behold the fashion and motions of the world 
we inhabit, as she appears in all her grandeur — 
when I consider her speedy flight as she makes her 



78 rice's orations. 

vast elliptic around the centre of the solar system, 1 
am constrained to ascribe the glory to my Sa- 
vior — the Creator of this vast machinery — " By 
whom God made the worlds," and who, according 
to his own assertion, is " the Resurrection and the 
.life." 

From chaotic embryo, when all was darkness and 
confusion, God, in the greatness of his strength, 
stretched forth his hand, and the world was made 
He spoke, and his mighty pillars studded the uni- 
verse. He touched the element, and the azure vault 
surrounded the habitation of man. He said, " Let 
there be light," and light sprung into existence. 
He stretched out the heavens as a curtain, and crea- 
ted the mighty orb of day in all its splendor, to en- 
lighten our benighted world. He rode upon the 
wings of the wind, while angels cast their crowns 
at his feet. This is He who shall appear, and with 
a voice louder than ten thousand thunders, shall 
wake the sleeping dead from the mansions of the 
grave. 

But we have only viewed the suburbs of his crea- 
tion. This abode of man is but a mere speck in the 
universe of God. Strike it from existence, and it 
would hardly leave a blank in the vast expanse of 
worlds. Immortal man ! let the rich jewel of thy 
bosom wing its way with spirit motion — in the 
twinkling of an eye reach the vast luminary of day, 
behold its mighty organization and its vast dimen- 
sions, see those worlds and satellites that roll around 
it through the vast fields of ether — then leave this 
mighty structure, and with the flight of thy death- 
less soul, wing thy way to the starry worlds — suns 
to other systems — behold their vast revolutions 
in the trackless fields of ether, and when thou 
hast pondered on them with amazement, return 
to thy building of mortality, and on thy way 
give honor to the blessed Jesus, by whose autho- 



ON Christ's second advent. 77 

rity the dead shall be raised and men and angels 
judged. 

Before the judgment day, the resurrection of 
the dead must appear ; therefore, we will give 
some particulars concerning it, before we com- 
mence on the final retribution of men and angels. 

As for that day and hour, month or year, when 
Christ shall appear for the first resurrection, "know- 
eth no man ; no, not the angels of Heaven, but the 
Father only." If it had been the will of God that 
man should know the time of Christ's second Ad- 
vent, He would have laid it down in plain terms in 
the word of life, so there could be no doubt on the 
subject. 

But to prove the doctrine of the resurrection of 
the dead, and the final judgment, to the Infidel, I 
must in the first place prove Jesus to be the Son of 
God. I will therefore produce my reasons both from 
Scripture and profane history, which I think no can- 
did man in the light of the nineteenth century can 
reasonably deny. 

I shall attempt to prove Jesus to be the Son 
of God, in the first place, by the evidence which 
comes to my senses. In the second place, by 
the evidence which comes to my understanding ; 
and in the third place, by unquestionable wit- 
nesses. 

In the first place, I know a man walks, because I 
see him walk with my own eyes ; this is proof by 
one of the senses. Thus the disciples of the Son 
of God saw Him when he was manifest in the flesh. 
In the second place, I believe according to logic, 
that the three angles of a rectilineal triangle, are, 
together, equal to two right angles ; because it is 
proved by demonstration, to my understanding, be- 
yond contradiction. So Jesus proved himself to be 
the Son of God to the vast multitude that beheld 
him, by the mighty miracles he wrougjit when he 
dwelt among the children of men. In the third 



*7 



78 rice's orations. 

place, I believe Jesus to be the Son of God, because. 
I have the testimony of persons of worthy credit, 
which I have the greatest reason to believe. Let us 
try the test of the evidence by example. I believe 
that George Washington was once president of 
the United States. Now, it is not because I ever 
saw the man, that I believe the fact ; but because 
I have had it from that intelligence which I cannot 
deny. 

So 1 believe Jesus to be the Son of God, be- 
cause I have the proof of it from a multitude of wit- 
nesses, who beheld his personage, his miracles, and 
his resurrection from the dead ; and have left their 
testimony on record, both in sacred and profane his- 
tory ; which has been saved by the wisdom of God 
against the malice of Deists and Infidels, and pre- 
served for the salvation of men, even until this pre- 
sent day. Thus reasoning, according to the law of 
common sense, I must believe that Jesus is the Son 
of God. 

Again : I have reason, as well as the Deist, to be- 
lieve in a God, by the intelligence I receive from 
the works of creation ; because creation indicates a 
first cause of its existence, and that first cause must 
be greater than the things created ; therefore I be- 
lieve the first cause must be the omnipotent God. I 
do not believe he is God because I have seen him 
or handled him, but by the proof I have in the 
WT>rks of creation. Thus I perceive we have no 
better proof in the existence of a God, than we have 
in the Son of God. 

But, again : I believe Jesus to be the Son of God, 
because his enemies, as well as his friends, corrobo- 
rate my faith. Josephus, a Jewish writer, Publius 
Lentilus, governor of Judea, Origen, Celsus, Cle- 
mens, Ammonius, and many others who lived in 
the days of the Savior or his apostles and early fol- 
lowers, left many facts in history that go to support 
the personage and Divinity of Jesus, although some 



ON Christ's second advent. 79 

of these men, if not all, opposed the Christian reli- 
gion, One of them, speaking relative to the Sa- 
vior, says: "In these our days appeared a man of 
great virtue named Jesus Christ, who is yet living 
among us, and by the Gentiles is received as a great 
phophet of truth ; but by his own disciples is called 
the Son of God ! He raiseth the dead and cureth 
all manner of diseases," &c. This same Jesus, ac- 
cording to Josephus, predicted the destruction of 
Jerusalem before that generation in which he lived 
should pass away, and many other things pertaining 
to it, which actually came to pass in agreement with 
his prophecy. If the enemies of the blessed Sa- 
vior, as well as his friends, have recorded facts to 
prove his mission to be from God, what need have 
we of any further testimony ? 

Furthermore, I believe this Jesus to be a good man , 
because he cast out devils through divine agency, and 
went about doing good. Now, we know that God 
would not inspire the devil with power to do mira- 
cles, as did Jesus ; because light and darkness have 
no fellowship together; and what union hath God 
with the devil ? A miracle is something beyond 
the course of nature, and requires some supernatu- 
ral power to perform it, and that power belongs to 
God. Thus we see certain Jews accused by our 
Savior of committing the sin against the Holy Ghost ; 
because they said with malice in their hearts, " He 
casteth out devils through Beelzebub, the prince of 
devils," when their own observations proved their 
assertion false. 

But, again : I believe a good man will tell the 
truth ; and as I have already proved Jesus to be a 
man of that character, I must also believe him to be 
the Son of God ; for he said, " I am the Son of 
God," which assertion is vindicated beyond all con- 
tradiction by his Heavenly Father, when he was 
baptized in the River Jordan, saying, " This is my 
beloved Son, hear ye him." If the existence of a 



80 rice's orations. 

God has been proved by the works of nature, much 
more has the existence of his Son been proved by 
the Bible and the enemies of Christianity. 

Moreover, I believe Jesus to be the Son of God, 
and inspired with divinity, because the miracles 
he wrought proved the fact ; and were witnessed 
by Jews, Gentiles, and Christians. Jesus spoke, 
" Peace, be still ;" and the troubled waters obeyed 
his voice. He commanded the bier to stand still, 
and by his authority the dead arose ! At his pre- 
sence demons left their victims and sanity was again 
restored ! He wept with those that wept ; and cried 
with a loud voice, " Lazarus, come forth," and the 
iron grasp of death, which had held its prey four 
days in the grave, gave up its victim, and the 
corpse awoke by the resurrection power of the Son 
of God. 

When we look back to the sources from whence 
Christianity sprung — the humility of its origin — the 
low state of its disciples — the phenomenon of its 
creation — the mighty victory it has acquired, not 
only over the civilized world, but over Paganism it- 
self — over lawless minds and brutalized regions — 
we must own the awful presence of Divinity; no- 
thinof less than the ffreat Jehovah could have done 
it ! The powers, the bigotry, and the superstition 
of the earth, were all in war against it ; it had no 
arms nor sceptre ; its Founder was dressed in the 
garb of poverty ; its apostles were poor fishermen ; 
its inspired prophets were lowly and uneducated ; 
its cradle was a manger ; its home a sable dun- 
geon ; its earthly diadem a crown of thorns ! But, 
in spite of all this opposition, it went forth ; that 
lowly, humble spirit, was implanted in the hearts of 
men ; the idols of the Heathen fell ; the thrones of 
governors and kings trembled ; and Paganism saw 
her votaries fall down and worship the Divine Con- 
queror ! If what has been produced does not prove 



ON CHRIST S SECOND ADVENT. 81 

the Divinity of the Son of God, then will I yield to 
the hostile ambition of Deists and Infidels. 

As I said before, so say I again, that the time of 
the second Advent of Christ, when the deputized 
angel shall sound the first trumpet, knoweth no man ; 
but I shall give my opinion in a few particulars con- 
cerning the Millennium, as follows : I imagine our 
week is typical of the great week of time from the 
creation of Adam down to the commencement of 
the Millennium and the termination of the same^ 
That six days typifies 6,000 years ; at the end of 
which the trump of God shall awake the righteous 
dead, and change the living in the twinkling of an 
eye. 

Then the volcanoes, or some other instrument 
God may see fit to use, will envelop the world in one 
general conflagration, and melt the elements with fer- 
vent heat — wrap the heavens together as a scroll, 
and " there shall be a new heaven and a new earth 
wherein dwelleth righteousness." Then man will 
be immortalized, and die no more. 

I imagine the day we call the Sabbath typifies the 
1,000 years Millennium, when God shall reign on 
earth with his people, by the subduing operation of 
his spirit, and " they shall all know the Lord, from 
the least to the greatest ; and all tears shall be 
wiped away from their eyes." Through this all- 
cheering Millennium, satan shall be bound ; at the 
end of which he shall be be loosed a little season, 
and go out and deceive the nations and gather them 
together for battle, whose number shall be as the 
sands of the sea shore. Then will commence a con- 
test ; the devil and all his confederates will fight 
against the Lord and his company, and the Lord 
shall overcome him and all his colleagues, and the 
song of victory will be heard throughout the camp 
of the saints. 

At the end of the Millennium, before the last con- 
test just spoken of between the devil and the Lord, 



82 rice's orations. 



I imagine the last trump shall sound, and all the 
wicked dead that have ever existed since Adam and 
died in unbelief, or ever will exist until that day 
appears, will hear the sound of the last trumpet and 
come to judgment. I imagine, furthermore, that the 
space between the first and last resurrections will 
be 1,000 years ; at the end of which the wicked dead 
will rise ; because, the apostle says, " We that re- 
main will not hinder them that sleep." I suppose 
he alludes to the righteous who live through the 
Millennium ; that they will not hinder the wicked 
dead to come forth at the sound of the last trumpet. 
According to divine truth there will be two resur- 
rections, and in the first the righteous only will be 
raised ; for St. John declares, " The rest of the 
dead lived not again until the thousand years were 
finished;" which can imply nothing else .but the 
second resurrection, in which the wicked dead shall 
arise. 

Having removed the obstruction of Deism, I now 
hasten to oppose one obstruction more, before I com- 
mence the subject matter of my discourse. Has 
God from all eternity decreed whatsoever comes 
to pass ? If so, there is no future judgment to 
ceme ; because the decision was passed before 
the creation of the world, men or angels ; and if 
this be true, there can be no wisdom in believ- 
ing in a future day of retribution, because all 
things are bound fast in fate and admit of no varia- 
tion. 

Before we pursue, let us consider wliat is an ab- 
solute decree of God ? It is an act passed in the 
eternal mind and will of Deity, which admits of no 
possibility of change, and must be accomplished on 
the object concerned, in perfect agreement with the 
decree. Therefore, when we say God has de- 
creed whatsoever comes to pass, we mean that 
he has decreed all things that ever have taken 
place or ever Avill take place ; and all these things 






oN Christ's second advent. 8f> 

must be accomplished according to his predeslina- 
tion. 

If this doctrine be true, men or devils are not ac- 
countable to God ; because all transactions are done 
in perfect agreement to his decrees : therefore, no- 
thing has taken place, or ever will take place, but 
what He compels to be, either directly or indirectly 
by his Almighty hand. The libertine, that des- 
tro3^s the female character and glories in his de- 
bauchery, does the will of God. The robber who, 
for the love of gold, steals from his neighbor, obeys 
the will of his Creator. The miser, who worships 
the world and thereby forgets his God, fulfils his eter- 
nal decrees. The murderer, who dyes his hands in 
his brother's blood, cannot avoid the act, for the de- 
crees of God compel him to do the same. And every 
wicked crime ever committed on earth, or in hell, 
is in obedience to his will, and must be accom- 
plished. 

But again : if this doctrine be true, those that 
will finally be lost, were unconditionally damned 
before they had existence. For them, the Savior 
never shed his blood ; for them, he never offered up 
a prayer ; for them, he never groaned when his soul 
was sorrowful in the garden of Gethsemane ; and 
for them, no door of mercy was ever opened ; 
but they must go to hell and wail under chains 
of eternal darkness, because God intended them 
for that purpose long before their creation. Fur- 
thermore, those persons who will be finally saved, 
were just as sure of Heaven before the world 
began, without any conditions on their part, as 
they ever will be when they enter the New- 
Jerusalem. This is what is called limited atone- 
ment. 

If this sentiment be true, there never was a sin- 
ner in the universe of God. No being commits sin 
by performing an act that he cannot resist. The 
superior authority that compels him to commit the 



84 rice's orations. 

act, is to blame, if there is any fault in the case. 
When the immortal spirit of man is compelled to 
act by some irresistible influence of God, either by 
motive or any other way, to that soul belong no fu- 
ture rewards or punishments for the deeds commit- 
ted while here in the body. 

If the system of divinit}^ now in consideration is 
true, then is the doctrine of universal salvation true 
also ; for God's revealed will can never contradict 
his decrees. It is recorded in the word of God, 
" There is one Mediator between God and men, the 
man Christ Jesus, who will have all men to be saved 
and come to the knowledge of the truth, who gave 
himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time." 
We see the will of God in the above quotation is 
the salvation of all men, and God's will must agree 
with his decrees ; therefore, all men must be saved. 
We see, in the same quotation, that Jesus made an 
expiation for all men. This destroys the foundation 
of a limited atonement, and makes man a proper 
subject for the future judgment, proves God's de- 
crees concerning man's immortal spirit to be condi- 
tional, and makes him a fit subject for the final re- 
tribution of eternity. 

But, my reader, I believe in the doctrine of pre- 
destination, as well as you, in all things consistent 
with the nature of God. Inanimate matter is fore- 
ordained by the Eternal to keep its location and mo- 
tion in a manner which God designed it should ; be- 
cause it is not accountable for its career. But the 
immortal soul of man God never compelled to do 
evil, either by motive or constraint ; for such deal- 
ings with spirit cannot exist — they counteract the 
nature of God, and destroy man's accountability. 

The deathless soul, destined for judgment and 
existence in eternal future, was never chained down 
by some unconditional preordination of the Poten- 
tate of Heaven, but was left free by the spirit of the 
Gospel, " which lighteth every man that cometh in- 



ON Christ's second advent. 85 

to the world," in reference to the choice of Heaven 
or hell. In the garden of Eden man freely stood 
while he stood, and freely fell when he fell. So it 
is with every soul now in the body, in reference 
to the last judgment. On these premises I build 
my hope for eternity ; on this foundation I worship 
God. 

My reader may here observe, God foreknows 
every thing as certain, without any condition on the 
part of man, and his prescience amounts to a decree. 
God's foreknowledge is not a decree. Many things 
exist, which God foreknew ; but did not predesti- 
nate. All lies, and sin exist; but the Bible says the 
devil is the father of lies ; and that God cannot lie ; 
neither can he look upon sin with the least degree 
of allowance. God's predestination of all things, 
makes him the Author of all sin, and responsible for 
sin: but his prescience of sin, leaves the sinner 
responsible to God. The Astronomer may have 
foreknowledge of an eclipse ; but he is not the cause 
of that eclipse. Two architects may have perfect 
knowledge of a building before erected ; and but 
one of them have any thing to do with its erection. 
So God may have the prescience of all things, and 
not be the cause of all things. For this reason I 
am led to conclude, concerning the sins of men 
God only foreknows, and leaves them without any 
restraint by his decrees to act in reference to their 
eternal weal or woe. On these premises, accord- 
ing to my views of Revelation, hang the just retribu- 
tions of eternity for Adam's race, and on no other 
foundation can the world be judged in righteous- 
ness. 

Having removed some of the obstructions believed 
in by the children of men, and opened the way by 
exordium for the second coming of Christ,! shall now 
begin my theme. 

The words that I have chosen for the foundation 
of my subject, have reference to the Second Advent 



86 rice's orations. 

of the Son of God in the clouds of Heaven — to the 
last great day of retribution for men and angels. 
It was for this day the Savior came into the world. 
For this day all other days were made. Were it 
not for this day, man never had existed ; and if he 
had, he would not receive the just reparations of 
eternity. For the events of this day, the Savior left 
the courts above and died to make man accountable 
to God, so the world could be judged in righteous- 
ness. 

Mankind were fallen in Adam ; and it would 
have been unjust in our Creator to have banished 
all the human race because Adam fell. There- 
fore, to make the judgment just, Jesus open- 
ed up a way for sinners, whereby they might, 
through obedience to his requirements, receive his 
approbation and be saved, or disregard them and be 
damned. 

The Judge now arrives with a cloud of witnesses ; 
he sits upon his throne of majesty, clothed with 
flaming fire ; his eyes sparkling with light, far ex- 
ceeding the blazing meteor; his head encircled with 
brilliancy, surpassing the mid-day sun ; his feet like 
unto fine brass, holding in his hand the seven stars ; 
he comes in the clouds of heaven — he appears in 
the glorious expedition of a God — he is surrounded 
by saints and angels — he wears a royal diadem — 
terror sits on his countenance — he appears ! But 
how unlike the man that sweat blood in Gethse- 
mane ! how unlike the man that died on Calvary ! 
No crown of thorns pierces his sacred temples ; no 
blood and sweat besmear the body of Jesus ! He 
comes with the resurrection voice of the first trum- 
pet. Before his presence, mountains melt away — 
the oceans heave with tremendous commotion — the 
earth trembles to her centre, and is wrapped in 
flames of fire — she spins on her axle like some giddy 
thing — she is deranged in her course of nature ; 
while she groans and expires under the wrath of 



ON Christ's second advent. 87 

God. The moon is dressed in sackcloth — the liiin 
withdraws his light — the stars fall, like untimely 
figs, from heaven ; and all nature suffers in the 
agonies of death. Deputized by this heavenly King, 
" the angel swears that time shall be no longer.'' 
The trump is sounding, and I hear a voice saying, 
" Come forth, ye righteous dead." Great day 
of God Almighty and the Lamb ! Day for which 
God created man ! Day for which earth sprung 
from choas ! The day for which creation first be- 
gan ! 

At the sound of this trumpet the earth begins to 
tremble — the elements war in dread commotion — 
the tombs are bursting — saints are rising from their 
grave of centuries to behold the coming of the Son 
of Man — they are dressed with the garments of im- 
mortality, and never shall sleep again. The living 
are changed in a moment, and put on garlands that 
shall never fade — the rich purchase of blood. The 
Lord has come to dwell on the earth with his peo- 
ple, and shall reign with them a thousand years. 
All tears are wiped from their eyes, and there shall 
be nothing to make afraid in all the holy mountain. 
The bands of death have burst asunder, and the 
followers of God have found the victory over the 
grave. They give honor to Him who sits upon 
the throne, for the day of their redemption has 
come. 

At the commencement of this latter day glory, 
the commissioned angel of God, with a great chain 
in his hand, shall lay hold on the devil and bind 
him, and cast him into prison, and he shall 
abide there one thousand years, during the Millen- 
nium, and lose his deception and reign over the 
children of men. Then nations shall learn war 
no more, and the blood of the Cross redeem the 
world. 

Now the time appears when all the dead in Christ 
since Adam fell shall awake, and congratulate the 



88 rice's orations. 

living saints now basking in millennial glory. The 
angel Gabriel advances with his holy train in front 
of the great Majesty of Heaven and earth, and 
sounds tlie alarm which rends the heavens and 
shakes the earth from pole to pole, while the ma- 
jestic Sire encircled with shining angels, and all 
the blood-washed throng clad with drapery of the 
skies, endows the voice with power surpassing foes 
of hell, which shakes the vaults and calls the dead 
to life ! 

Here the servant of the Lord, who, by command, 
repaired to Mount Moriah with his son, shall rise 
with garments white and crowns of honor, at the 
voice of that Savior once buffeted in the streets of 
the Jews. Now the prophet, once in the fiery bush, 
shall rise in beauty and exulting songs of everlast- 
ing rapture to the Lamb, while Pharaoh, with his 
fellows deep in art, remain until the final trump 
shall sound to wake those dead that feel the burn- 
ing flame ! 

Here the blest Psalmist, with all his heavenly 
choir, appear with beauty and immortal bloom, with 
harps well tuned to sing that song a Savior bought 
when en the cross he hung ! Isaiah, the phophet 
of the Lord, whose lips were touched with fire, no 
longer sounds the dread alarm on Zion's walls, and 
thus exposed, to die ; but life instead, and all the 
rapture of the upper world, inspire his soul with 

joy • 

Stephen, the first martyr from our Savior's death, 
who spake as with an angel's tongue, and bore a 
visage bright, now reaps the harvest bought with 
vital blood — with Paul, to whose feet his garments 
lay — converted by a sunbeam from on high, will 
join in rapture to that name which none but Jesus 
bears ! Peter, whose humble state changed his 
posture on the cross to that of his dear Lord's — 
sealed his pardon by his blood — ascends in clouds, 



89 

with all the fiery throng soaring with their Captain 
far on high ! 

From the vaults of Palestine, where lamentation 
spread by dying groans, arise another train of in- 
nocents, who, in flight of speedy pinions, with un- 
numbered since the fall, soar aloft to mansions in 
the skies ! Christians of all grades now burst the 
chains of death, and join the blissful band of har- 
mony and adoration to their King — bid death fare- 
well, and in the fiery chariot such as the prophet, 
knew, ride on in triumph and enter the golden gates 
of everlasting day ! 

The prayer of the church since creation is now 
changed for heavenly fruition ; the voices of lamen- 
tation and mourning have passed away, and the 
cries of innocent blood are heard no more. The 
martyrs that have sealed the testimony of Jesus by 
their sufferings and death, have gained the victory 
over their enemies, and rejoice in sweet repose. No 
friend of Satan shall ever annoy their peace, but 
sacred joy shall forever inspire their bosoms, as they 
worship God. 

The church is now triumphant from all fears, 
And left the dregs of wretchedness behind. 

The joys of time are mutable in their nature, and 
soon terminate ; but this happiness relative to the 
soul of man, shall live forever. Man's spirit can 
never die ! That thinking, that anticipating princi- 
ple, that powerful anxiety, which cannot be satisfied 
by the things of time, can never terminate. These 
faculties of the soul are capable of vast improve- 
ment. They may be inspired with a rapid increase 
of knowledge through this short existence, and at 
the close of life remain more ample for the same re- 
ception. Doubtless this intrinsic worth may go on 
forever with rapid strides of increasing wisdom and 
find no perfection. The most lofty seraph that sur- 
rounds the throne of God may look down on the 



♦8 



90 rice's orations. 



Christian, and behold a future period in eternity, 
when he shall surpass his present glory. Man has 
an intellect that surveys objects both past and fu- 
ture, and doubtless will go on in progressive vision 
in the expansive world to come. He can see good 
from evil, because in him was implanted the power 
of docility, far surpassing all other animal beings. 
Man is the noblest workmanship of God in this 
lower world, and was made for something more than 
to sleep in everlasting silence, as the beasts of the 
forest or the birds of the air. 

If man could, in this life, arrive to the highest 
point of knowledge attainable — that all his energies 
of mind could expand to the highest possible per- 
fection — that the flower could be in full bloom ere 
nature silenced the flame of animal life, we might 
presume an extinction of the immortal soul. But 
the progression of this rich jewel towards Deity's 
perfection, is like one of those mathematical lines 
that approaches nearer and nearer, without any pos- 
sibility of ever arriving to consummation. 

I will now refer to the truth of Revelation to prove 
man's immortality beyond the grave. That there is 
endless joy for the righteous, no one who believes 
the word of God will deny. The apostle says : 
** Christ Jesus suffered without the camp, that we 
through his blood might enter into the dwelling of 
the holiest." 

Again, it is written, " He that believeth on the 
Son hath everlasting life." Again, saith Jesus, 
*' I know my sheep, and they follow me and I give 
unto them eternal life." Paul appeared to be con- 
firmed in the belief of everlasting happiness, when 
he exclaimed in striking accents ; " This light 
affliction which is for a moment, worketh out for 
us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of 
glory." 

At the resurrection of the righteous, the body as 
well as the soul, is made immortal, and fashioned 






ON Christ's second advent. 91 

like unto Christ's glorious body. It no longer re- 
mains a cumbrous load of grosser elements, but obeys 
the wish of the soul, and moves with it wheresoever 
it desires. As quick as thought, the body and soul 
light on the most distant star, and in a moment are 
in some other remote part of the universe of God. 
To them belong no location, except in the element 
of happiness ; for a spirit cannot be confined to 
place any more than thought ; and the spiritual 
body always obeys the immortal intellect. After 
our Savior arose from the dead, he could appear in 
a moment to the apostles, and as soon disappear out 
of their sight. So will it be with the saints of 
God. This mystery must be true ; yet no man 
can explain it on the principles of philosophy, 
any more than he can comprehend the eternal 
Divinity. 

At this Second Advent of Christ, the sorrows of 
the righteous terminate forever ; for they have found 
a heavenly realm through Christ their mediator. 
They have entered the harbor of safety, spoken of 
by the prophets and the apostles. Here their vision 
was faith in testimony, without a visible sight of the 
Testator ; but now they behold the reality of former 
anticipation. Here the brother welcomes his con- 
sanguinity, once separated by death, yet joined by 
the same faith. The father meets his son, and the 
daughter her mother, with the welcome news of a 
confederation death and hell can never disjoin 
However solemn the separation was on earth, it 
is now forgotten by the participation of uninterrupt- 
ed joy and paradisaical delight. This heaven-born 
pleasure surpasses the description of an angel's pen ; 
how, then, can I do justice to my subject ? 

This happiness belonging to the saints of God lu 
unspeakable and full of glory. In their celestial 
mansion is the immediate presence of the Lamb 
who was slain for their redemption. The Temple 
of Jerusalem was a magnificent edifice ; but the 



92 rice's orations. 

holiest department, secluded by the inner veil, was 
a faint emblem of this triumphant Temple, " whose 
maker and builder is God." This celestial city- 
passes all resemblance of earthly things ; for they 
must wax old as doth a garment, and be dissolved. 
Heaven is paved with the richest gold — illuminated 
with the light of the Son of righteousness — secured 
by the authority of Deity — destined to remain without 
end — resounds with hymns of highest rapture — in- 
spired by disembodied saints, and surrounded by 
that horizon which excludes the unrenovated soul 
that never dies. 

In this holy Temple is implanted the tree of life, 
which produces the most delicious fruit — yields it 
every month — and the leaves thereof are for the 
healing of the nations. In this bright mansion 
flows the pure river containing the water of life ; 
the streams of which exhilarate the celestial para- 
dise. Nothing is deficient in this holy building, 
for all things are new. Every face has enstamped 
upon it the true omen of heaven-born delight. Here 
saints are clothed upon and mortality is swallowed 
up of life. Death has lost its sting — all things are 
completed — and victory is witnessed by the ethereal 
choir. Christ has given up the kingdom to God, 
even the Father ; and all enemies are trampled un- 
der his feet. Saints gather immortality on the de- 
lectable tree erected at the right hand of the eternal 
Divinity. Nothing unclean, or that worketh abom- 
ination, can enter this cit}', for all enemies are put 
to flight by the Captain of salvation. The beauties 
and excellencies of this paradise are so great, that 
no mortal eye can behold them and live. *' Eye 
hath not seen nor ear heard, neither hath it entered 
into the heart of man to conceive those things 
which God hath prepared for them that love him." 
If the glories of Heaven are so inexpressible, let 
my pen disgrace no longer this subject most di- 
vine. 



ON Christ's second advent. 93 

Oh ! happy world ! Can a worm of yesterday hope 
for a region in the skies? In that kind mansion, 
redemption swells the song. There Jesus' name, 
divinely sweet, reiterates on every tongue ; there 
the heart shall never throb but with rapture ; there 
the countenance shall never appear, but with celes- 
tial beauty ; there the feet, once diverted, shall tra- 
verse the pavements of Heaven ; there the pilgrim, 
once wearied with the vicissitudes of a wicked 
world, has taken a fair asylum from all things be- 
neath the sun — no fears inspire his bosom with 
misery — no tears are extorted from his eyes by the 
convulsive lamentations of nature ; but all his facul- 
ties are the avenues of supreme delight. 

Amazing catastrophe ! Who purchased this sal- 
vation for guilty man ? Who opened the door of 
paradise, which the apostacy of man had barred ? 
Let the Mediator speak. On the cross, extended, 
hung the Son of God, as a malefactor, in the ago- 
nizing groans of death. From the tree where the 
Savior vibrated in dying pangs, and covered with 
blood, light appears and salvation smiles on guilty 
man. From the manger, Gethsemane, and Calvary, 
I see the load of guilt expelled from the sinner, his 
garments of pollution taken away, and a royal dia- 
dem placed on his brow of immortality. The spirit's 
hell, to which he was fast hastening, was evaded 
by the rich blood of atonement, and a heavenly pos- 
session purchased for him by the unparalleled suf- 
ferings of the all-prevailing Conqueror. For this 
cause, the name of Jesus is extolled by all the blood- 
washed throng. 

Fill'd with wisdom by the heavenly Dove 
They soar in rapture and ambrosial love; 
Lost to the anguish in the world before. 
Imbibe the flame and nature's God adore. 
Far in the skies, believ'd by mortals here. 
That song is sung, which will the spirit cheer: 
' Tis bliss obtained by that expiring sigh, 
"Which bought for man a paradise on high. 



94 rice's orations. ^.: 

Hear the martyr's song of redemption, smce he 
has gained the victory through the Lamb. He beholds 
the world behind him, and all its objects, in brighter 
visions lost. From his golden seat, he traces the 
meandering maze from time to his auspicious realm ; 
thorny was the path, beset with stratagem. Once 
his progressive speed was obstructed by inveterate 
enemies, which spread their dismal gloom around ; 
but now his theme is exultation. No more shall I 
wander in nature's lurid path — no more shall mortal 
scenes increase my fear, or chilling blasts disturb 
my halcyon soul, for sorrow and mourning have fled 
away, and all perils terminated in the bridgeless 
Jordan. Death can no longer boast of victory — dis- 
ease cannot inflict with torturing pangs ; because all 
sorrow is changed for inexpressible delight. Here 
the weapons of death are known no more, for all 
wars have terminated, and the bloody carnage has 
passed away. The parent shall no more witness 
the death-groans of his affectionate ofl^spring — the 
brother shall no more follow the brother to the 
gloomy sepulchre — the beggar shall no longer suffer 
for the bread that perisheth, but satiates his appetite 
from the banquet spread on high. Sorrow shall 
never tread on the heels of sorrow ; but bliss of 
celestial origin, and joys without end, shall inspire 
the soul with more than mortals know, and leave no- 
void without extatic fire. 

Having described the bliss of the servants of God, 
we now hasten to the sound of the last trumpet — to 
the resurrection of the wicked dead ; for, according 
to St. John, " the rest of the dead lived not again 
until the thousand years were finished ;" this is the 
last resurrection, and on such the second death has 
power ; for they must all hear the voice of the Son 
of God, and come forth — " they that have done evil 
unto the resurrection of damnation." 

At this day of retribution, shall scenes transpire 
which make the boldest countenance turn pale and 



ON Christ's second advent. 95 

the stony heart tremble with fear. Great must be 
the exhibition of this day, because of the vast num- 
ber that shall assemble around the throne, and the 
final destiny that awaits the wicked. From the 
grave of centuries, sinners of all ranks obey the 
sound of the last trumpet, and burst into life. They 
assemble in countless millions around the throne, 
clothed with the sable garments of immortality. 
Here the rich and poor, black and white, bond and 
free, male and female, monarch and beggar, all com- 
bine to form the black cloud of culprits on the left, 
and wait in awful suspense to hear their final doom. 
They tremble with consternation, ere they plunge 
their last grave. 

At this final day of judgment, the Son of Man 
will sit on the throne of his glory, surrounded by 
the saints redeemed among men, and the vast con- 
course of the heavenly hosts. He will be clothed 
in his celestial equipage, and before him shall al. 
nations be gathered together ; " and he shall sepa 
rate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth 
the sheep from the goats ; and he shall set the sheep 
on the right hand, but the goats on the left. Then- 
shall the King say to those on the right hand, 
' Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit a kingdom 
prepared for you from the foundation of the world;' 
but to those on the left, ' Depart, ye cursed, into 
everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his an- 
gels.' " At this day of final decision, Beelzebub, 
with all his forces, begins his last engagement, and 
fights his spiritual battle against the Lord ; and the 
Lord and his agents overcome him and his vast 
company, and " bind them hand and foot, and 
thrust them into outer darkness, where there shall 
be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Here lost men 
and angels receive their last destiny ; here their 
chains of darkness are riveted, and they drink the 
unutterable vengeance of the wrath of God. 

The separation of relatives on earth, is often griev 



96 kick's orations. 

ous and tormenting ; but how faint the emblem of 
the separation at the final judgment! How often 
have parents witnessed the dying groans of an affec- 
tionate child, while their very souls were absorbed 
in misery at the dissolution ! But weeping would 
not reclaim the beloved object, or retard its accelera- 
ted departure. How often have children been called 
to witness the obsequies of parents, dear by nature's 
ties, and thus become abandoned, wandering through 
an inclement world ! These separations are sore 
and unconsoling, yet the comparison is small to 
that separation where reunion is past all hope, 
and fixed destiny is lasting as the judgment of 
God. 

As there are sinners of various characters, I shall 
here mention some of them individually. 

How must the backslider lament his interminate 
ruin, " who has counted the blood of the covenant 
whereby he was sanctified an unholy thing, and done 
despite to the Spirit of grace ?" How he writhes in 
agony ! See his trembling soul naked before the 
bar of God, while his deeds are exposed to men and 
angels. He sighs under his intolerable load of guilt 
and hears his verdict sealed by Omnipotence — wit- 
nessed by cherubim and seraphim, "Depart, ye cursed 
blasphemer, into everlasting fire," while the voices 
of all the holy throng resound in the loud acclama- 
tions of amen. 

His eyes now penetrate the self-murderer, who 
IS convicted of his crime. He is conscious of com- 
mitting that sin which gave him no space for 
pardon, but terminated his probation without hope ; 
" For no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him." 
He is full of repentance, but too late, since his 
day of grace ended at his expiring breath. His 
once pitiful Savior is now changed to indignation, 
saying, " Depart, ye cursed murderer, into that 
pit where there shall be weeping, w^ailing and 



97 

gnashing of teeth," while the witnesses exclaim, 
"amen!" 

The swearer is also at this tribunal. He is filled 
with amazement at that countenance which shoots 
destructive fire upon every sinner. Once he could 
soar on the impious delusion of blasphemy — spurn- 
ing the Gospel admonitions — groping in the dark 
maze of infatuated vice and error — committing trea- 
son against the law of Justice — sinning with a high 
hand against the Majesty of Heaven. Once he 
thought it the height of glory to throw forth great 
swelling words against his Sovereign ; but now he 
reaps the bitter rewards of his evil doings. Stand- 
ing in confusion on the sliding place where fiery 
anguish is rolling just below, see the trembling cul- 
prit at the bar, fearful to launch away ; yet the expel- 
ling ire of the Judge issues forth his expedition, and 
his troubled soul sinks where the voice of exemption 
never shall appear. 

As he surveys the multitude of sinners, he casta 
his eye upon the liar — justice finds him guilty, 
" Because all liars shall have their part in the lake 
which burneth with fire and brimstone ;" " This is 
the second death." Here he travelled to and fro 
on the earth, seeking whom he might destroy by his 
deception ; but now he is caught in his own ways by 
the Judge, who is able to recompense both the just 
and the unjust. Hear his sentence: "Depart, ye 
cursed liar, into everlasting shame and contempt," 
while in agreement the witnesses say "Amen to his 
damnation." 

I The drunkard lingers not behind. Forced by 
that energy which no man can retard, he pensively 
appears. Condemned by the gnawings of that worm 
which never dies, he remains speechless and sur- 
prised. That face which once indicated the prog- 
nostic of salvation by the tragical groans of Calvary, 
is chanjTed into the omen of wrath aj^ainst the cul- 
prit at the bar. The time of his probation was 



98 rice's orations. 

passed with indifference on futurity — his affections 
were riveted to that bane by which a vast number 
lose the brightest crown. The day of decision 
doubtless he sometimes viewed afar off, yet comfort- 
ed himself there was time enough yet to expel the 
noxious cup ; but at length he was overtaken sud- 
denly by the whirlwind of death, and his baseless 
imagination fell low as the grave and deep as the 
spirit's tomb. Now the tremendous day is at hand ! 
He beholds the gulf of destined misery at the left, 
while numberless demons are as a transient veil 
that hides the calid flames, just ready to receive that 
fuel never to be extinguished by the nature of the 
conflagration. Mourning the loss of time once occu- 
pied by intoxication, he heaves a fatal groan, which 
is the prior link to an eternal chain. The fire of 
spirits once absorbed his senses from activity ; but 
now his latent capacity of mind is participating 
that anguish which pen cannot describe or tongue 
express. How his pensive bosom heaves with pain ? 
He gazes on the vast ocean of woe, and sinks 
to rise no more in the dark mansion of misery ! 
" The drunkard shall not inherit the kingdom of 
God." ■ 

At this day, the Judge will thoroughly investigate 
all the doctrines ever established by man. All spu- 
rious systems shall be brought to light, and hay, 
wood, and stubble, shall be annihilated by the co- 
gent fire of the Almighty. At this day, vast multi- 
tudes shall be sundered from the fictious doctrine 
they imbibed on earth, and, if saved, will barely 
escape as a victim from the crater of the destructive 
volcano. At this juncture, methinks the restora- 
tioner trembles at the abortive fiction he proclaimed 
to man. His once affirmed aphorisms disappear as 
the morning dew, and nought but the indelible re- 
ality survives the final verdict. Self-condemned, 
with a biased disposition, once employed in hostility 
against the truth, he finds no refuge, but joins the 



ON Christ's second advent. 99 

bttdd whose party preached the same doctrine in the 
garden, which is in opposition to the Gospel injunc- 
tion, " But he that sinneth against the Holy Ghost 
hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal 
damnation." There can be no danger of any thing 
that is not, or never can be ; therefore we may sup- 
pose there is, and ever will be, a place of misery, 
and that qualified by interminate duration. 

All the concerns that mankind are unwilling to 
reveal on the shores of time, now appear naked, be- 
fore the Judge of congregated millions. Whatever 
might have been concealed from the world is now 
brought to light by the Author of the conscientious 
catalogue. At this day, the deceiver and his doc- 
trine must take the last separation, and he reap the 
fatal consequences of his obnoxious career. If re- 
pentance at this crisis would save the soul, doubtless 
hell would remain a silent mansion, and every sin- 
ner escape from his intrication. But all hope ex- 
pires in the final condemnation of lost men and 
angels. 

I will here advance a few quotations of Scripture 
to prove the punishment of the finally impenitent 
shall have no end. For, saith Jesus, " The words 
that I speak unto you, the same shall judge you at 
the last day." " Sodom and Gomorrah, and other 
cities round about them, going after strange flesh, 
are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance 
of eternal fire." Furthermore, "You that are trou- 
bled rest with us, until the Lord Jesus shall be re- 
vealed from Heaven, taking vengeance on all them 
that know not God and obey not the Gospel of our 
Lord Jesus Christ, who shall be punished with ever- 
lasting destruction." Furthermore, that disciple 
whom Jesus loved, in his Revelation declares, when 
speaking of the false worshiper's misery, " And 
the smoke of their torments ascendeth up forever 
and ever" Again : Peter, in describing the false 
teachers, ushers in this striking quotation : " These 



lOO rice's orations. 

are wells without water — clouds that are carried 
with a tempest, to whom the mist of darkness is 
reserved forever." If the word of God proves an 
eternal Heaven for the righteous, the same word 
proves an eternal hell for the Avicked ; for the terms 
are as strong in the one case as in the other ; and 
in my opinion, no honest man versed in the Scrip- 
tures, can for a moment doubt the fact. 

Where shall I find a rule to measure eternity ? 
Must I be deep in mathematics ? if so, I must be 
lost in a deficient system. The things of time may 
be measured by rules of application, and thereby 
the mental powers of man may survey the end. 
Shall I apply the rules of time to eternity ? If so, 
where shall I begin, or whither shall I cease in the 
vast meander of supernumerary years ? Let us ap- 
ply, for instance, the length of time, 6,000 years, to 
eternity, and this as often as once in a minute for 
three score years and ten, and see to what date we 
will arrive in immortality. It will be 220,902,780,000 
of our years. At this extensive date, the hell-doom- 
ed sinner may apply the measurement already at- 
tained for 1,000 of our centuries, with the prior 
speed of application, and then exclaim in accents 
of desperation, eternity is just begun ! Momentous 
truth ! Shall man remain dormant at this eternal 
doom ? 

Should particles of this earth no larger than the 
smallest insect, be transmigrated to some other 
planet in the universe of nature, and but one par- 
ticle be removed in one thousand years, the time 
would appear in the progressive chain of action 
when the space occupied by this earth would be as 
void as the immeasurable wilds of ether. At the 
expiration of this incomprehensible progression, the 
thick darkness of the Almighty's wrath will inspire 
the pit of execration and exclude the hope of any pos- 
sibility of future emancipation from the wrath of God. 

Thus we see, all beings so unfortunate as to make 



ON Christ's second advent. 101 

their bed in hell, can never be extilcated. When 
the door is once shut by the Master of the house, 
and the seal sanctioned by Him "who shutteth and 
no man openeth," in vain shall the culprit seek for 
escape. Jesus saith, " I am the beginning and the 
end, and have the keys of death and hell." While 
the saints are in Heaven continually gathering im- 
mortality on life's fair tree, this benighted faction 
are mingling in cries for mercy, " O for a drop of 
water to cool our parching tongues." Now they 
shall wish for death, but death shall flee away ! 
They curse the unhappy days of their beginning, 
and gnaw their tongues with pain. In this infernal 
mansion no Savior will ever descend to proclaim the 
news of Salvation by Heaven's expiring groans ! 
Here no brilliant star shall bear the tidings " good 
will," as did the angels in Bethlehem. Here the 
purple gore of the beloved Son of God can never 
flow, as on the summit of Calvary ! But despera- 
tion instead darkens the gloomy vale and excludes 
the way of mercy, which is now administered to our 
rebellious world. 

Let the eternity-bound sinners, for whom Jesus 
died, reflect on the misery of approaching doom ! 
sinners ! can you endure this unextinguishable 
fire ? Can you dwell with everlasting burnings, 
shut up in endless oblivion to the beauties of crea- 
tion, and drink the cup of eternal indignation with- 
out the consoling streams of the Savior's side ? Is 
this the desire of your intellectual faculties ? No. 
They do not wish such afflicting scenes as devils 
experience without a possibility of emancipation. 
Then, I beseech you, refrain ! The blackness of 
darkness is gathering around you I Soon the main- 
spring of free option will cease to act in your favor ; 
for your life is uncertain and death is near. Now the 
Physician stands ready to receive you with outstretch- 
ed arms of mercy — gladly would he pluck you as 
brands from eternal burnings ! He only waits 



♦9 



102 rice's orations. 

your petition ! Turn ! O turn ! while it is to- 
day ; for the night cometh, when no man can work 
out his salvation, though he may greatly fear and 
tremhle. 

Fellow sinners, we are condemned by a law that 
knows no pardon ! Where, then, shall we fly for 
escape and shield its fatal curse ? " Shall we go on 
in sin that grace may abound ?" " God forbid." We 
must fly to a Savior's bleeding veins, and for crimes 
committed in so long remaining adamant, and spurn- 
ing the way of salvation, descend the valley of holy 
compunction, and through faith gain justification. 
Our morning sun will soon pass his meridian splen- 
dor, and expire at that horizon which separates time 
from eternal pain ! A little longer, and the gloom 
of night will set in upon us fraught with all the ter- 
rors of endless death ! The howling winds shall 
blow over our spirits' grave, ignited with the doleful 
fires of the damned ! In that dreary realm, no blood 
of atonement will be sounded in our ears with the 
voice of pardon ! but lost hope shall inspire our 
deathless souls ! 

If this is the sinner's final doom, why are we not 
constrained by such powerful motives to commence 
the important work the Gospel requires ? Shall we 
longer remain in continual transgression, exposed to 
that spear which will soon lavish our blood ? Shall 
we rush on the fierce anger of that God, who is a 
consuming fire until his wrath is sealed against us 
with the irrevocable sentence of the flames of hell ? 
If some darling object of time were exposed to dan- 
ger, how soon would we approach for its security ? 
Yet, unconcerned about the surviving part, which is 
worth more than universal nature, that is destined 
to annihilation ; for when material matter shall be 
dissolved by fervent heat, the soul shall yet sur- 
vive ! Can we be so ignorant as to barter away the 
true riches of Heaven for the vain mammon of this 
world, and be forced at last to the lamentation, "The 



ON Christ's second advent. 103 

harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not 
saved." 

A few reflections on the immortality of the soul, 
and I shall leave the subject to my reader's better 
judgment. 

This mortal life is but the commencement of our 
being — a breath or two— we gasp in mortal agony, 
and begin our eternal existence. If we possess the 
world we inhabit, it cannot pass with us over Jor- 
dan ; but if we obtain the riches of Heaven they 
will buoy us up as we pass down the stream of time, 
amid the rolling ages of immortality. If poverty and 
affliction beset us here, death will soon close our 
suiferings ; but if we lose our souls, the loss sur- 
passes all finite comprehension. This is that end- 
less death, which mortal death cannot destroy. The 
world we inhabit, with all its fashionable grandeur, 
is swiftly passing away — the earth will soon grow 
crazy with old age, and reel on its axis like some 
giddy thing — the stars, like untimely figs, shall fall 
from heaven ; but the all conscious and deathless 
soul shall survive the wreck of worlds, and live in 
eternal future. And when another period of exist- 
ence as long as the world has been expires, and a 
thousand times as many such periods as there were 
moments in the first, our immortal souls shall have 
just begun their career. 

To stand on the eminence of Pizgah, and look 
over the river Jordan, what a prospect rushes on our 
vision ? Let fancy spread its wings and pursue the 
deathless soul through ages of bliss, sufiicient to dis- 
solve these clay buildings, and still progress through 
periods which human numbers fail to compute, 
until imagination is so far extended from home 
it can hardly be recalled ; it must give up the chase 
and leave the swift winged soul to explore the count- 
less ages of eternit}^ And when it returns to its 
clay prison, how inconstant appears all earthly 



104 rice's orations. 

glory — a mere blank in the existence of the undying 
soul. 

Let imagination again spread her pinions, and 
follow the soul in agony through endless existence — 
through fires sufficient to melt down the starry 
worlds. One period after another passes away, as 
it takes its flight through the dark regions of lost 
spirits, then it returns, looks back on expiring mil- 
lions of years, as a speck in the firmament, and still 
hears the deathless soul in wailings exclaim, " My 
agony is just begun." God of mercy, save us from 
this eternity of woe ! The fainting mind will be 
inspired with the worth of the soul if it admits its 
eternal progression. 

It is very difficult to conceive of the soul's being 
forever in bliss or woe, without acquiring new ideas 
and increased capacities, which must enhance its 
joys in Heaven, or its pains in hell. And some por- 
tions of the word of God favor this opinion. I shall 
take it for granted, and see what an august being 
the soul will become that escapes the second death. 
Let us first observe its progression in this life, and 
the magnanimity it here obtains. Yesterday it was 
an infant in its mother's arms — to-day it is a child, 
and is chastised — to-morrow it becomes a philoso- 
pher, and receives honor of men. Let this progress 
be extended to millions of years, and how great has 
the soul magnified. Ten thousand times more dif- 
ference between it and a Newton, than between a 
Newton and a child. Mark that feature of man just 
opening his eyes in the morning of life ; yet that 
infant contains a soul that will outstrip the ranges 
of the most sublime intellect. That spark of eter- 
nal life begun will grow to the magnitude of an- 
gels ; and in a flood of glory swell the raptures of 
Heaven. 



ORATION V. 
ON SLAVERY. 

Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. — James ii. 8. 



Amid the various operations of the day, Slavery 
stands pre-eminent on the list — is stamped with the 
black seal of cruelty, which eclipses the star-span- 
gled banner of America, and destroys her flag, on 
which liberty has long been falsely inscribed ; stains 
the Union with the brand of infamy, and calls the 
contempt of foreign powers upon her. England, 
with all her despotism and barbarity to her laborers, 
can affirm, with the voice of truth, " We have no 
slaves." The fetters of tyranny were too brutal, on 
bone of their bone, and flesh of their flesh, to have 
existence in the metropolis of the world, and were 
broken off by the incessant petitions of the friends 
of liberty, and discarded from the laws of the British 
kingdom. 

America, by turmoil and blood in her infancy, 
struggled for liberty from English oppression, and 
gained it. Yet there are laws of toleration in the 
American Constitution which assume a more dismal 
aspect than any in that kingdom from which she 
was emancipated. Hovv, then, can the American 
boast of liberty, when Slavery reigns triumphant ? 
Why rear the banner that bears the motto of fiction ? 
Why raise the cry of freedom, when the African re- 
mains in bondage ? Ye sons of America, blush for 
the treason you have committed on the flag of your 
liberty and the Declaration of your Independence. 



106 ■ rice's orations. 

Lament for the iniquity you have brought upon your- 
selves, and the deep crimson by which you are stain- 
ed. Ahhough you have not all been engaged in the 
same personal transgressions, yet the black cloud 
of Heaven's vengeance will soon spread over you as 
a nation of criminals, and Avili pour forth its thun- 
der bolts of devastation and death, except you re- 
pent of your transgressions, and by reformation turn 
to God. 

Marvellous, indeed, that a nation which bears the 
name of a Republic, should destroy it by practice, 
and infringe upon their Declaration of Independence, 
which declares, " All men are born free and equal, 
having the same inalienable rights and privileges," 
and thereby render themselves obnoxious to their 
own authority, become exposed to the indignity of 
foreign powers, prove traitors to their own liberty, 
and aliens to the voice of freedom. Such are the 
beings that have stigmatized America with the black 
seal of infamy, and excluded from their bosom the 
last trait of humanity. Such are they that have 
robbed Africa of her sons and daughters, proved 
themselves hypocrites in the eyes of the world, glory 
in the rich productions of the sweat and blood of 
slaves, and pour forth their cruelty upon their unfor- 
tunate victims. Ye sons of America, who are not 
engaged in this traffic of cruelty, weep for your vile 
countrymen, and let your hearts and voices, in one 
simultaneous ejaculation, ascend to Heaven for their 
reform ; and with the might that God has given 
you, use all suitable means for their recovery. 

The spirit and practice of Slavery, counteract the 
spirit of the Gospel. And if we can prove this as- 
sertion, it, of course, must be an evil. If so, it must 
be followed with a curse. Therefore, it becomes us, 
as citizens of one common Republic, to destroy its 
baneful influence from our land, to oppose its vota- 
ries, and lift up our voices as friends to God and our 
country, with one united effort against it. It is the 



ON SLAVERY. 107 

love of gold that holds the slave in bondage, and by 
it the slave-holder sells his soul : " For if any man 
love the world, the love of the Father is not in 
him." 

The words which I have selected for the founda- 
tion of this discourse, are full of kind instruction. 
They strike the death-blow to cruelty and oppres- 
sion, and require man to use his fellow man as well 
as he does himself. This was the will of God con- 
cerning him in his first creation, and remains the 
same down to this present day. When our Savior 
commanded us to " Love our neighbor as ourselves,'' 
he did not intend we should bind him in chains, and 
lacerate him with stripes, until his blood ran to the 
ground. When he left the injunction, " Love your 
enemies," he did not mean we should steal them 
from their friends, their homes, the land that gave 
them birth, and bind them hand and foot, cast them 
into dungeons of despair, and oppress them with 
hunger and disease, for the want of food and the 
pure atmosphere of heaven, of which they have of- 
ten been deprived by their cruel masters. Nor did 
he intend they should be driven like cattle to the 
market, hand-cuffed and chained, and to the highest 
bidder sold. 

My reader ! behold the slave in all his gloomy ap- 
pearance ! See him torn by the kidnapper from his 
father and mother, brother and sister, children and 
wife, and from all the nearest and dearest ties of 
nature ; he is forced from his native country and 
borne to a foreign shore to dwell among strangers, 
to feel the lash of tigers who live in a land of Chris- 
tianity, and many of them professing the religion 
of the Son of God. If such be the practice of 
American citizens who have the name of Christians 
among the Gentile world, we need not marvel that 
the Heathen war against Christianity, when her 
professors are so strongly bound to the wicked one, 
and carry out his doctrine of high treason. Let the 



108 rice's orations. 

slave-holder blush, nor longer profess to enjoy the 
true spirit of the Gospel. 

Africa ! ill-fated Africa ! Hard has been the 
lot of thy sons and daughters. Their tears have 
been extorted by the iron yoke of oppression, and 
much of that oppression has come from a nation 
called Republican, and recorded in the history of 
revolutions as the brightest Star that gilds the world. 
Yet this Star has been darkened by the foul prac- 
tice of robbery ; and what is worse than all, by the 
theft of human beings. Strange practice ! black 
with treason — in war with the God of Heaven and 
the laws of nature. Nothing but the long practice 
of Slavery could tolerate the curse and perpetuate 
Its brutal existence. 

It has been remarked by some, that Africans are 
unintelligent — that they were designed for slaves by 
the great Original of their creation — that they have 
a black mark upon them, showing the inferiority of 
their existence, and servitude was designed to be 
the burden of their lives. But this assertion has 
no foundation. Only give the African the same 
privileges as the American, the Irishman, or any 
other native on the globe, and let those privileges 
be handed down for a few generations, and you may 
see intellectual stars increased by Africans, that will 
do honor to the mental heavens. They will arise 
from their degradation of heathenism and ignorance, 
and act their part in the enlightened theatre of life. 
Others have remarked that the African cannot live 
by his own genius and industry, and it is better for 
him to be a slave than a free man. But it has been 
proved that the enlightened African can obtain a 
livelihood, and accumulate wealth, as well as the 
American. 

It is the nature of man to desire some high sta- 
tion in life ; and if he can gain it, he sooner rejoices 
in the downfall of his competitor than in his pros- 
perity, especially if by his overthrow he obtains his 



ON SLAVERY. 109 

own desired eminence. Man, in the state of nature, 
cares nothing for just principles, any more than what 
contribute to his weahh and honor in this life. He 
would as soon rise to affluence by the degradation 
and servitude of others, as he would by their joy 
and happiness, because selfishness and envy lurk in 
his heart. Such is the principle of many who gain 
their wealth and eminence through the labor and 
sweat of degraded negroes, who are borne down by 
tyranny, live in ignorance, and in ignorance expire. 
No doubt some masters treat their slaves with much 
affection, while others use them worse than brutes. 
But the principle we despise ; for the very name of 
Slavery in a united Republic, destroys its honor and 
staggers the commiseration of man. 

The traveller, as he passes through the Southern 
States, has proof of amalgamation, beyond contra- 
diction. He sees a variety of colors, between the 
white man and the sons of Africa. And more 
than that, he witnesses the likeness of the master, 
his son, or driver, in the young population, in various 
instances. Here is a stamp of nature's God, that 
rises up as a swift witness against the polluted fa- 
ther, condemns him with infamy in this life, and 
a much darker stigma beyond his probationary ex- 
istence. 

Ye mothers of Israel inspired with philanthropy ! 
let us change the position of this deadly evil. Sup- 
pose you and your daughters were in the same sit- 
uation as the daughters of Slavery, how- would your 
hearts beat with agony and your spirits sink within 
you ! Then let your tears fall in sympathy, your 
petitions be presented, and all your energies combine 
with the population of the north and every other 
lover of liberty, until you reach the centre of this 
deadly malady. Do what you can for the healing 
of the nation, and if you cannot cure the disease, 
vou will be able to clear your skirts of innocent 
llood, by using all the influence God has given you. 



10 



110 rice's orations. 

Pause, my reader, and lament at the strange sig- 
nals of American liberty ! Behold her banner float- 
ing in the breeze, with false inscription, crimsoned 
with the blood of Africans, and marred with the 
chains of Slavery ! Hear her cannon roar from hill 
and dale, for the commemoration of Independence 
purchased by the blood of her ancestors, while op- 
pression and bondage triumph over the sons and 
daughters of Africa. See the sky rockets and rosin 
fires ascend the heavens as omens of American free- 
dom ; yet the friendless slave remains in perpetual 
bondage. Hear the shouts of triumph and liberty 
in voUies ascend from the white sons of freedom, 
while the wailing cries of the poor negroes for as- 
sistance, are put forth in vain. 

Strange reality ! which ought to make every citi- 
zen blush, and the slaveholder turn pale. Foul in- 
scriptions of liberty, black as hell, and daring as 
demons lost. 0, America ! vile and polluted Amer- 
ica I Put forth thy groans, and begin thy wailings, 
for the curse of God as a nation, shall come upon 
you for the crimes you have committed, and the be- 
som of his destruction will send you to the lowest 
hell. 

To the sons and daughters of this Republic, 
who have been favored by the King of kings above 
all nations on the globe, I speak ; yet, in the midst 
of such light, have spurned the requirements of 
Heaven ! how can you escape the wrath due to your 
crimes ? Nothing but true repentance and reform 
can shield you from the wrath of God and save you 
from your sins. 

We will now ask the question. Why is Slavery 
perpetuated in these United States ? Because the 
northern people bow to the south, and the slaveholder 
loves concupiscence and gold more than he does his 
God — desires to be called of men Rabbi, and to rear 
himself up on the downfall of others. As long as this 
principle remains in the majority of voters, public 



I 



ON SLAVERY. Ill 

opinion will never destroy the chains of Slavery. 
But there is a way to destroy Slavery and to make 
slaves — to take the yoke from one man's neck and 
place it on another. It is wading through seas of 
blood, either by foreign powers or home insurrection. 
And who can tell but ere long the slave shall be 
free and the white man brought into bondage ? But 
I hope such justice will be evaded by man's yielding 
to the terms of freedom and obeying the requirements 
of Heaven. 

Africa, long degraded in ignorance, shall be free. 
The cloud of darkness that has brooded over her for 
ages, is dispersing by the rich Gospel of the Son of 
God. The missionary with "Goodwill to all men," 
is spreading the news of salvation through her bor- 
ders. Her rivers and deserts, which have long been 
travelled by the sons of heathenism, " Begin to bud 
and blossom as the rose." The bright cloud of 
moral and divine intelligence will soon expand her 
golden wings over her, and her banner will be 
raised, on which will be inscribed. Liberty without 
fiction, and freedom without Slavery. " The Ethi- 
opian cannot change his skin, nor the leopard his 
spots ;" yet the blood-bought soul of the African 
may be made pure and comely as the white 
man's, e as beloved of God, and wear as bright a 
crown. 

Slavery, in this American Republic, will yet pre- 
vail. The master's car of pollution, in all its des- 
potism and death, shall still roll on. The slave 
ships shall spread their sails to the breeze, and bear 
their cargoes of flesh and blood over the blue waves, 
wliile the shrieks and groans from their gloomy 
cabins shall rend the air and break the strongest 
heart. Chains and hand-cuffs shall draw tears from 
Africans, and the dens of pollution gladden the 
debauchee's wicked soul. The driver's scourge and 
sword shall torment the negro and clothe him with his 
own blood. The foul practice of amalgamation shall 



112 rice's orations. 

variegate the color and features of man. The father 
shall deflour his daughter and the son his sister, and 
rejoice in their wickedness without the fear of God. 
The cruelty of Slavery in all its branches, shall tri- 
umph over the voice of humanity, and lamentation's 
doleful sound be heard on our sea-beaten shores, 
while the wings of the wind shall bear the mourn- 
ful dirge over the blue Alleganies to the far-off val- 
ley of the west, where the same curse triumphs over 
Africa's sons and daughters. 

But the vengeance of God, though delayed, -will 
not always slumber. The storm of wrath is gather- 
ing over America, and will soon burst in seven-fold 
thunder and pour forth its artillery of death on the 
vile offender — " For he that soweth to the flesh, shall 
of the flesh reap corruption." " And though the 
wicked go hand in hand, yet their sins will find 
them out, and they shall be punished for their ini- 
quities." Man may for a season escape justice, 
yet the time will come when his works shall be 
tried by fire — the fornicator judged, and if he dies 
without hope, will receive his final doom ; for at 
the end of the world, the judgment of God will be 
against him, saying, " He that is filthy, let him be 
filthy still." 

Nations, because they are Republican, need not 
think themselves impregnable. Where are the an- 
cient Republics ? Their sins have found them out — 
their crowns have been taken away, and monarchy 
has triumphed in their stead. In all probability, 
before many years expire, some unseen dagger will 
pierce the heart of our Constitution, and draw from 
her the last drop of vital blood; and on her ruins 
build up anarchy and death. Who knows but the 
sword of vengeance is already drawn, that will shake 
America to her very foundation? She has been 
guilty of the foulest crimes — driven the soil owner 
from his native home and possession — compelled 
him to flee to the Missouri, and take his residence 



ON SLAVERY. 113 

among wild beasts and strangers ; and will soon 
compel him to scale the Rocky mountains, and for 
aught I know, he will finally make his grave in the 
Pacific ocean, and be forced to bid an eternal farewell 
to the residence of his ancestors — to the land 
which gave him birth. But this cannot satiate the 
malice of the white man ; he must continue his de- 
predations on the ignorant slave. Because the edu- 
cation of the African and Indian is inferior to his 
own, he glories in victory over them, for sin has filled 
his heart. Instead of the peaceable spirit that should 
inspire his soul, he possesses the animosity of a tiger, 
and sallies for revenge on his helpless prey. 

But why find fault with the cruelty of Slavery, if 
every thing that takes place was sanctioned by God 
long before man had existence. If all the transac- 
tions of men, and the powers that be, are immutably 
ordained of God, then the libertine does his will as 
well as the Christian, and the slave and slaveholder 
are fulfilling the wisdom of his eternal decrees. 
Therefore, it is the height of folly to censure any 
man for misdemeanor, since every act was con- 
firmed on the creature before he had existence; and 
he may as well undertake to create worlds, as to 
vary the least tittle from the predestination of God 
concerning him. But this black scheme of the devil 
to destroy the human family, cannot exist in the 
mind of Jehovah, any more than lost angels can be 
happy in Heaven. Man must be accountable to 
God, and if he commits sin the blame rests on his 
own soul ; " For by his works he shall be condemned, 
and by his works he shall be justified." Therefore, 
the slaveholder, with all saints and sinners, shall 
give an account of his stewardship to God; and 
when he is weighed in the balance and found want- 
mg, he must receive the bitter fruits of his own do- 
ings. In that day when God shall judge the world, 
he will find no refuge in the doctrine of eternal 
decrees of whatsoever comes to pass ; but will find 



*10 



114 

" whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin," 
and by his voluntary transgressions he must suffer 
the penahy of eternal death ; " for he that believeth 
not, shall be damned." 

There is but one remedy for removing the scourge 
of Slavery. It is repentance for holding the slave 
in bondage and voting to send delegates who rivet 
the chains of Slavery. It is the forsaking of all 
those vices which are degrading in their nature — 
brought the negro to the level of the brute creation 
by unjust authority, which intrudes upon the rights 
of God and man — shuts the cries of mercy's voice 
and expels the falling tear. When voters of the 
Northern States use their influence in deputizing 
men whom they know will operate in favor of 
Southern slave-holders, they are guilty of the same 
crime, stain their garments with the same dye, and 
must expect punishment for the same treason. There 
is no evasion of the crime ; for their raiment is red 
with the blood of their victims, which rises up as a 
swift witness against them. 

Slavery is an evil, and most degrading in its na- 
ture. It has spread over the negro its funeral pall 
for gone-by ages, has robbed him of his birthright, 
effaced the title of American Liberty, and stigma- 
tized our Republic with the foulest infamy that ever 
disgraced a nation of freemen. If so, let us arise 
from our slumber, flee to the rescue, lay side and 
shoulder to the wheel, until the car of freedom shall 
roll triumphant, and the flag of emancipation shall 
float on the gentle zephyrs through every star in the 
Union, and the poor degraded African breathe free 
once more. In so doing we shall prove our repent- 
ance and reform, and live on terms of friendship 
with God and man. 

Ye friends of liberty, who desire the emancipation 
of Southern slaves, lift up your voices like seven 
thunders against the foul blot of Slavery, which has 
long stained this American Republic ! Repeat your 



ON SLAVERY. 115 

cries, and let them echo from the broad Atlantic to the 
Pacific ocean, and be heard over hill and valley until 
the hostile master withdraw his chains. Ye servants 
of the most high God ! ministers of the everlasting 
Gospel ! who believe in liberty on earth as well as 
in Heaven, in the fear of your Master and not of 
men, let the principle of Gospel freedom and the 
freedom of your country be heard from the sacred 
desk, until the poor negro shall breathe the pure 
atmosphere of the sons of God, and feel the true 
liberty of the white man. This is the just claim 
of Africans ; this the rich enterprise in which 
Heaven rejoices, and for which our fathers bled and 
died. 

Eeioice, ye worthies, who are engaged in the ex- 
emption of degraded Africans. Your case is one of 
the most just and momentous that ever inspired the 
breast of man. It is merciful in its nature, and is 
sustained by the declaration and true spirit of Hea- 
ven. The voice of reason and friendship recom- 
mend it to every heart ; and every man honestly 
engaged in it, proves that he loves the slave, his 
country, and his God. Ye devoted heroes for the 
liberty of Africans ! press on your way rejoicing ; be 
girded with the panoply of the Gospel, and your 
tears and petitions, in combination with the slave's, 
will move that arm that moves the world, and those 
miserable victims that are groaning under the lash 
of servitude and despair, will rise up and call you. 
blessed. And when the last retribution day of eter- 
nity shall award the final decision of lost men and 
angels, your labors of mercy shall be as stars in your 
crown of rejoicing, while the poor negro, freed from 
his chains of bondage and made rich in God, shall 
say amen to your salvation. And as you rise higher 
and yet higher still in the sublime raptures of Hea- 
ven, the glorious reflection on your past eflbrt to lib- 
erate the slave, will cheer your souls through eternal 
existence. 



ORATION VI. 
MISSIONARY CALL. 



' Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature/ 
Mark xvi. 15. 



This injunction came from Heaven. It was the i 
solemn and powerful commission of the Son of God, , 
and was laden with realties momentous beyond de- • 
scription. It was given to the apostles by our Sav- ■ 
ior just before his ascension into Heaven, and has s 
ever since held its authority over every minister of 
the Lord Jesus, and in a fjreater or less decree on all 1 
Christians. 

Almost every thing depends on the education of ' 
youth. On them is suspended the spiritual weal or r 
woe of our world in days j^et to be numbered. If " 
so, let us weigh the force of education. If the germ i 
is placed in just direction, it will ascend the heavens i 
and adorn the forest ; but if not, it will be a mere 3 
nuisance among the neighboring trees. " Train up ) 
a child in the way he should go." said the wise man, , 
" and when he is old he will not depart from it." His 
meridian of life will be a star in the mental hea- 
vens, shining all about him, expelling the darkness 
of intellectual night, and will prove instrumental in 
leading immortal souls to the great Shepherd of the 
sheep. 

But if on the other hand, he be educated in sin 
and error, his footsteps will be marked with infamy, 
and he will spread the shades of midnight in every 
direction — poison the society in which he lives, arid 
lead them down to the spirit's hell. 



MISSIONARY CALL. 117 

But the question is, how shall we educate youth 
for the most speedy spread of the Gospel, and con- 
version of the world ? Here my heart recoils ; for 
my pen is inadequate for the task. But through 
the help of Him who answers prayer, I will com- 
mence my theme. 

In the first place, the subject has strong claims on 
parents. Since mankind are born in sin, and sub- 
ject to the penalty of the divine law, the young 
should be taught by their parents their sad condi- 
tion by nature, and what they must be by grace to 
obtain the favor of God. Parents, with a holy zeal 
burning on the altar of their hearts, should urge the 
importance of regeneration to their offspring, and 
accompany it with their prayers, and a life of sin- 
cere devotion. They should put in action all their 
energies for the speedy conversion of their children ; 
for this is the first step of the Missionary of the 
cross. If a man possess all the science and riches 
of the world, without Christ in his barque, he wil 
run aground, or founder on the rocks of mortal per- 
dition. 

Again, if the worth of the souls of men be near 
parents' hearts, they will not confine that desire to 
their own bosoms, but will convey it with ardent 
soul to the tender minds of their children, as soon 
as they come to years of understanding. They will 
urge it on their memories time and again, as a rich 
memento of the Son of God, being his last Will 
and Testament, sealed by his dying groans on the 
cross, and his resurrection from the grave. They 
will urge on their minds the immortal worth of the 
souls of men, and press upon them with all the ten- 
der emotions and striking pathos of their hearts, a 
spirit of philanthropy for the world. 

Youth have also a claim on Sabbath school teach- 
ers, as well as on all christendomn. Every friend of 
God and man cannot fail to instruct the youth in 
those things that pertain to the happiness of the 



118 rice's orations. 

world. When death shall end their parents career 
in this life, and they go home to the church triumph- 
ant, they are to become the pillars of the church 
militant, and adorn it by the rich reflection of the 
grace of God. Let the instructor have this in view, 
and he will use his utmost effort to improve those 
useful minds committed to his care, and magnify 
that spark of grace begun, by teaching them the re- 
quirements of the Gospel, and the burning zeal and 
persevering effort it demands for the salvation of 
men. He may behold in them the buds of genius 
beginning to expand, that will soon open in the full 
bloom of manhood, and become celestial stars, that 
will shine on man's moral darkness, until they shall 
wake up light in the Gentile world ; " for faith 
Cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of 
God." 

But to all persons who have " Christ in their souls 
the hope of glory," many of the branches of human 
literature are highly important, for usefulness through 
life. For any man whose heart is right toward God, 
it increases his power to do good, to grow in know- 
ledge. But the seminaries of education in which 
youth are trained ought to be selected with care. 
Instructors should be inspired with deep piety ; and 
as they teach the arts of men, they should never 
forget to teach the sublime art of Religion, which 
took its origin in Heaven, and cost the death of the 
incarnation of the Son of God, to make it accessible 
to man. In seminaries of the education of youth, 
Divinity should be ever kept in remembrance as well 
as literature, and the leading features of the Gos- 
pel be often repeated in the disciple's ear, that his 
zeal in the cause of God may not be mitigated 
through his term of labor to gain the arts and sci- 
ences. And when he obtains the rudiments of his 
usefulness through life, his soul may be on fire to 
spread the salvation of his Master's kingdom. 

Children should be taught to love all mankind, 



MISSIONARY CALL. 119 

Liid to put their love in practice as fast as their 
means shall increase. When the riches of this 
world swell their stores, instead of holding their 
treasures with a miser's grasp, they should let their 
light shine to the world, and prove to be the stew- 
ards of God, by contributing to their brother's need. 
Though they cannot all sound the Gospel trumpet ; 
yet th§y may impart the means which God has given 
them to carry on the glorious work of Missionary 
enterprise for the conversion of the world. The 
name of Christian does not make one in reality ; 
but he that doeth the will of God. Therefore if 
any man will be a Missionary of Christ, he must be 
crucified to the world, and all he holds dear on 
earth must be laid upon God's altar, and there re- 
main at his disposal ; for it is impossible for any 
man to serve two masters — to hold the riches of the 
world in one hand, and Religion in the other. 

Youth should be educated to preach by example, 
that they be not stumbling blocks to the world, over 
which sinners may descend the steeps of eternal 
death. Moreover they should reprove the works of 
darkness in good faith, with all prudence, holding 
fast the testimony of God. As they behold sinners 
of every order pressing their way to the abodes of 
darkness, they should impart to them the kind ad- 
monitions of the Gospel, and entreat them by ex- 
postulation and tears to forsake their sins, and by 
repentance turn to God. The true Missionary of 
the Gospel may find work to do in every place. 
Whether he be among Gentiles, or where the Gos- 
pel has been preached for ages, the claims of God 
are upon him to do all that he can for man's salva- 
tion, for as long as sin aboundeth he must " cry 
aloud and spare not."- 

The youthful minds should be inspired with the 
necessity of missionary effort, to spread the Gospel 
over the world, when they consider the worth of the 
immortal soul. The most striking proof of the value 



120 rice's orations. 

of the soul is drawn from the love of God to man. 
The eternal Divinity, after man was shut out of Par- 
adise, looked in mercy on his sad condition — sur- 
passed the wisdom of men or angels, and devised 
a plan for man's redemption. By the balances of 
his wisdom he weighed the immortal soul ! In one 
scale he put man's deathless spirit, and in the other 
piled worlds on worlds, and the all-conscioifs soul 
outweighed them all ! It was for this rich jewel 
God was manifest in the flesh — seen of angels, and 
preached to the world ! For this deathless prize 
the blood of Heaven stained the ground in Gethse- 
mane ! For this immortal gem destined for eterni- 
ty, the crimsoned stream of Jesus run down the brow 
of Calvary ! For this matchless worth God closed 
his eyes incarnate, while his voice rent the Temple — 
made the earth tremble, and raised the sleeping 
dead ! Thus Heaven died to redeem the immortal 
soul ! 

Again, missionaries should be excited to action 
when they consider that the Heathen world lie in 
darkness and the shadow of death ; since there is 
no other name given whereby they may be saved, 
but the name of Jesus, and that precious name they 
have never heard. Man's life is but a vapor. What 
ever is done by the servants of the Lord in preach- 
ing the Gospel, or sinners in believing the same, 
must be done quickly. Ever}'- moment is laden with 
eternal realities. The Gentile world are daily clos- 
ing their probationary state by thousands, without 
ever hearing the Gospel's joyful sound. Then let 
the Christian arise from his slumber, be up and do- 
ing while the day lasts for the conversion of the 
world, and when the angel of death shall end his 
earthly existence, " he will shine as the stars of the 
firmament forever and ever !" And as he surrounds 
the Tree of Life, that yields her fruit every month, 
whose leaves heal the nations, he will exclaim in 
honor to his great Deliverer, " here I am with the 



MISSIONARY CALL. 121 

rich gems thou hast given me, crowned with the 
shining garments of the Son of righteousness, cheer- 
ing as the Waters of Life, and lasting as God's ex- 
istence." And when he shall look back on the 
shores of mortality, where he spent his day of grace 
in honor to God, toiling for man's future welfare ; 
the bright stars of glory, redeemed through the 
blood of Jesus, destined to shine in the firmament 
of Heaven through his instrumentality, shall ever 
reflect light on his soul, as they wave in banners of 
victory over the abode of lost spirits, in honor to the 
King of their salvation. And as they sing the song 
of redemption, and greet each other from the tops 
of the holy mountains, the sweet zephyrs of Hea- 
ven shall exhilarate his soul, as he enjoys the so- 
ciety of those stars in his crown of immortality ; 
while the silver waves of the sea of glass, that 
dash upon the crystal shores above, shall inspire 
him with rapture, as he sails in Zion's ship, wafted 
by the rich breezes of Heaven, on the ocean of eter- 
nal life ! 

If all this flood of glory remains for the missionary 
oi the cross and his converts to Jesus ; and that by 
the Gospel alone salvation is to "cover the globe, as 
the waters cover the mighty deep ;" and that man 
is to be the instrument to spread that Gospel over 
the world ; how all important that every Christian 
should be up and doing for the salvation of his coun- 
trymen, before midnight gloom shall terminate the 
probation of millions upon millions more ; and the 
spirit land of lost angels shall be their abode, among 
the groans and wailings of an endless night ! where 
no voice of mercy shall ever enter with the rich 
news of pardon to the sinner's ear — no blood of 
atonement bear on its healing wings " Salvation" 
through the medium of Calvary ! But instead of 
the cheering news of exemption, the sad cries of 
damned spirits shall re-echo through the dreary cav- 
erns of the lost, while " The smoke of their torments 



11 



122 rice's orations. 

ascendeth up forever and ever," and the cry of "Lost 
hope" confirms their doom in the dark prison of eter- 
nal death ! Awake ! ye servants of God awake ! put 
on the whole Christian armor — fight manfully the 
battles of the Lord — until lost Eden shall be restored, 
mankind rise from their degradation, and once more 
reflect the image of their Savior. 

Once more we infer the necessity of the spread 
of the Gospel, because of the eternal existence and 
progression of the soul in Heaven or hell. Let us 
consider for a moment the duration of the deathless 
spirit which was infused by the breath of God in 
the garment of mortality when man became a living 
soul. This miniature of God shall live forever. 
Yes, that spark, lit up by the great Jehovah, which 
is a part of his own nature, shall find no end to its 
existence ; sooner shall this earth crumble to ruins — 
the sun be darkened — the moon-turned to blood, and 
the stars fall from Heaven, than the soul terminate 
its being. 

Were every grain of sand on the shore a mil- 
lion of years, and every particle of dust in this 
mighty globe that million ten thousand times mag- 
nified, there will be a period in the future history of 
the spirit of man when these countless millions of 
years shall have passed away ; and in that far dis- 
tant date, beyond the reach of finite computation, the 
soul with astonishment will exclaim, either with the 
damned or saved, eternity with all its momentous 
realities is just begun. 

Again, w^e insist on the importance of the spread 
of the Gospel, because if the soul be lost, the loss 
surpasses all finite comprehension — and if it leave 
the body without hope in God through the merits of 
Christ, it can never scale the highlands of Heaven. 
The hell to Avhich the wicked spirit is fast hasten- 
ing, is a " bottomless pit" that knows no bounds of 
agon)\ And the very nature of the soul as well as 
testimony from God, indicate its eternal progression 



MISSIONARY CALL. 123 

If SO, its torment must magnify forever. Yes, the 
time will appear in the future history of the lost spirit, 
when it shall have shed more tears, heaved more 
groans, and endured more sufferings, than all Adam's 
race down to this present moment. More than this. 
The time will come when the lost spirit shall have 
endured more agonies, than all the devils and spir- 
its in hell have endured since their first creation to 
the present hour. Nay, still more. The time will 
appear, when the lost soul under the wrath of God 
shall have suffered more torments than all the ban- 
ished creation of God's universe have suffered since 
their origin to the present now, or will suffer for 
millions of centuries to come. 

To have a full estimate of the worth of the Gos- 
pel and saving faith in the same, the soul must de- 
scend to the dreary caverns of the damned, and 
there spend an eternal progression in amplification 
of misery, and endure all the torments of the lost 
spirit under the execration of an offended God. 
More than this — he must ascend the mansions of 
Heaven which God has prepared for them that love 
him, and experience all the raptures in glory that a 
sanctified soul can enjoy in its eternal progression 
among the angels of light. If such be the immortal 
interests of the Gospel, how can the Christian refuse 
to labor for its promulgation ? 

Moreover, we see the necessity of the spread of 
the Gospel, because of the unspeakable joys of Hea- 
ven which are obtained by its saving efficacy. " Eye 
hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered 
into the heart of man, to conceive those things 
which God has prepared for them that love him." 
Were the earth, sun, moon, and stars composed of 
pearl, gold, and diamonds of the most precious kind ; 
and we had them under our control to enjoy in all 
the buoyancy of youth for ten thousand years, they 
would be no more in comparison to the joys of Hea- 
ven than a feather floating in the breeze. As pro- 



124 rice's orations. 

gresses the soul in hell, so is its progression in Hea 
ven ; but not in the same course. The saved souJ 
is approaching nearer and nearer to God, while the 
lost is departing from him. That soul which shall 
dwell in eternal life, shall arrive to a point in future 
existence, when it shall have more knowledge than 
Gabriel now has, and shall have enjoyed more hap- 
piness than all the saints and angels in Heaven have 
enjoyed down to this present moment. If such be 
the happiness produced by the blessed Gospel, let 
us labor with all the ability God has given us, for 
its circulation through the world. 

Furthermore, we plead the importance of the Gos- 
pel's promulgation, because it transforms the fallen 
soul. See that vile wretch in his moral pollution ; 
he spurns the ways of God, and loves the works of 
iniquity. The poison of death moves his tongue to 
utterance, and his steps take hold on the deepest 
hell. Mark his downward course. In the hours of 
midnight he revels at the chant of the viol ; sports 
at the gambling table ; haunts the grogshops of ine- 
briation ; curses the gentle hand that sustains him; 
steals his neighbor's gold ; and what is worse than 
all, takes his life. His heart is like an adamant, 
and his conscience seared beyond remorse. But see 
that child of the devil when under the influence of 
the blessed Gospel ; his heart melts within him, 
while his sins pierce his smitten soul. He looks to 
that Savior he once despised, and through faith se- 
cures his salvation. His heart leaps for joy; he be- 
comes anew man in Christ Jesus; a fit subject for 
the society of saints on earth, and a candidate for 
the upper sanctuary. How great the change ? Yes- 
terday he was under the bondage of sin ! now made 
free by the blood of Jesus. Yesterday, without hope 
in the world ! now prepared for the society of an- 
gels, and the church of the first born in Heaven. 
His tongue swells the song of thanksgiving to God, 
and his heart beats high for immortality. The 



MISSIONARY CALL. 125 

friends of Jesus are his friends, and their resting 
place his eternal habitation. 

Lastly, we urge the universal spread of the Gos- 
pel, because it restores our lost Eden ; converts na- 
tions that thirst for blood to the practice of God's 
Revelation ; spreads the knowledge of the Savior 
where Paganism has long triumphed in savage cru- 
elty ; beats back the waves of sedition, which for 
gone-by ages have rolled mountains high with slaugh- 
ter, and on their ruins rears the flag of liberty, con- 
firmed by the blood of atonement and tha united 
Divinity of Heaven. This is peace on earth — " Good 
will to men " — a world restored from the dominion 
of satan to the worship of God. Such will be the 
future triumph of the Gospel; such the final salva- 
tion of the fallen race. Then let the nations of the 
earth shout aloud for joy, and pray for the day of 
their redemption; for the Lord God Omnipotent' 
reigneth ! and in him alone shall man be able to 
stand amid the expiring groans of nature, and the 
conflagration of a burning world. 

What more shall we say to urge the spread of the 
Redeemer's kingdom ? We have described the 
way in which it may be done. We have attempted 
to show the incalculable importance of its promulga- 
tion. What more can we say than we have already 
said ? "Let us work while the day lasts, for the 
night cometh when no man can work." Push the 
battle to the gate ! Use all our efforts to labor for 
God, that we may be instrumental in beating back 
the waves of darkness which will diminish that fune- 
ral throng which are daily plunging the fires that 
never shall be quenched. In so doing we may be 
able to extinguish the cry of neglect at the judgment 
day; be approved of God, and wear a heavenly crown. 
This, fellow youth, is the will of God concerning us ; 
this the only way to save our countrymen from devour- 
ing fire, and secure our own salvation amid conflicting 
elements and the decision of the last judgment. 



*11 



ORATION VII. 
ON AUTUMN'S FADING GLORY. 

The grass withereth and the flower thereof falleth away."— Peter i. 25. 



When we cast our eyes around us on the works 
of nature's God — when we behold the luminary of 
day giving radiance to the world, from whose light 
vegetation springs into existence — when we see hills 
and valleys, rivers and oceans, smiling with the lux- 
uries of man — we lift our grateful eyes to Heaven 
in adoration to the Great Original of all these earth- 
ly glories. But again our eyes traverse the same 
landscape, and in quick flight survey the creation of 
God : And lo ! the scene is changed — the glories of 
Autumn are blasted by the frosts of Winter, and 
the general appearance of earth's amphitheatre is 
inverted for the gloom of death : and at the sight 
we marvel that all these glories are thus conquered 
by the fell tyrant, and behold in them the likeness 
of man's mortality. Again we lift up our eyes to 
Heaven and worship God ; for by the sacred tes- 
timony we believe, " Though man dies, yet shall 
he live again, for death shall no longer have do- 
minion over him." Thus mankind survive Au- 
tumn's fading glory, and live when the works of 
nature die. 

But the powers of mental attraction draw us to 
ancient ruins and revolutions. We look for them 
among the departed glories of former centuries ; and 
often treasure them up as the choicest portion of our 
early attainments. It were a jubilee to amuse our- 



ON autumn's fading glory. 127 

selves by walking over the desolation of Thebes ; 
surrounding its pyramids, and mounting to their sum- 
mit. It were worth days of turmoil to enter the city 
of rock, the fortress of Edom, that we might obtain 
a fragment from the crumbling Avreck of structures, 
which cost the toil of ages. We could willingly 
spend days and months in exploring for some me- 
mento of Tadmor in the forest; or of Babylon, or of 
Nineveh, that great city of " three days' journey," 
in which God's servant preached. But we may 
read the death-knell of every earthly glory, and those 
devotees who shared a part in raising the mighty 
structures, which seem to challenge the gnawing 
tooth of time, by looking into the mirror of expir- 
ing nature, spread out before us at this Autumnal 
season. 

Let us ascend some lofty summit, survey the broad 
landscape, and behold the fading glories of the dy 
ing year. See the beauties of that shroud now ex- 
panded before us in all the splendor of golden hues ; 
in all the grandeur of sculpture, sketched and filled 
out by the hand of Him who transcends the skill of 
the ablest artist. I see the garments of death im- 
pending through every pathway of life. I see the 
rays of light as they fall from the king of day upon 
the dying habiliments of nature, and thoughts come 
pressing on at the spectacle, such as I would cherish 
when the sun shall have withdrawn his light, and 
this clod of mortality have relinquished the spark 
that gives it life. It is no fiction that excites my at- 
tention, as I survey nature's dying theatre. It is no 
bubble that I grasp when I commune with Autumn's 
final groans, as she expires in the agonies of death. 
No ; it is a solemn reality, that must soon thwart 
the path of every man, for " All flesh is grass, and 
all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the 
field." Awake, then, my soul ! come out of the 
depths of apathy ! retire from the busy crowds of 
life, and hold fellowship with God through the 



128 rice's orations. 

works of nature, now exposed to the view of dying 
millions. 

Who can survey the fading glories of the season, 
and not feel his own corruption ? It is humbling 
to one elated with high expectations and fond hopes, 
that the very leaf he treads beneath his feet, is em- 
blematical of his own mortality. 

Pause, then, ye Alexanders, and meditate your 
own departure — ye who would conquer nations and 
subdue kingdoms : pause, ye mortals, who would 
ascend the summit of glory, or grasp the dross of 
time, that ye may be like some ancient monarch — 
the fading leaf is under your feet ; stoop down, and 
with it hold communion. See through the emblem 
of that leaf, where the giant arm has been withered, 
and become too weak to contend with children , 
where ambition, with a brow of adamant, and breast 
of savage cruelty, has sought with importunity a few 
drops of water to quench its thirst ; and where 
thoughtless gaiety, that drove " wisdom out of life," 
cries out with the dying queen, " Millions of money 
for a moment of time !" Would you estimate the 
number of those beings who have played in this 
theatre of human action, and learn the end of their 
fading glory? go count the leaves of the forest as 
they fade away, and tell the aggregate when sum- 
med up in one vast column too great for human com- 
putation. 

Such is the frailty of human life when contem- 
plated by the records of truth on this Autumnal oc- 
casion. Who among us will be spared another year, 
and to whom does dying nature speak, in the dark 
shade she now decks herself, to prepare to imitate 
ler, clad in funeral robes, before another season 
shall roll round ? Cast your eyes over this dying 
world, and see what vernal plants will survive the 
frosts of winter — what tree in the meridian of life, 
and what of riper years ? Had such a request been 
made at the last Autumn, would you have selected 



ON autumn's fading glory. 129 

those who have been borne to the marble field dur- 
ing the year that has past ? For whom, then, does 
nature hold out her last warning, as she scatters the 
arrows of death among the children of men ? Is it 
for the young man or woman, or is it for the father 
or mother that watched over their infancy ? Disre- 
gard the voice of the living preacher if you will; 
let the admonitions imparted from the sacred desk, 
gathered from the book of Nature, of Providence, 
and of God, be forgotten ; but harken ye to the dy- 
ing voice of Autumn, as she pleads with you in all 
the pathos of kind devotion, for the appearance of 
her countenance calls up the liveliest emotions of a 
soul that never gets weary while contemplating her 
fading glories. Enchanting Nature ! I love thee 
with all thy vernal beauty ; and through thy rich 
intelligence by fields of living light, I hope ever to 
study the character of God. The fading flowers 
which now clothe the banks of the streams and val- 
leys ; and the variegated and sublime scenery spread 
out upon the hills and mountains, in one general 
combination and touching pathos, set in upon my 
soul. At this shrine of Nature, my stony heart shall 
melt, and often pay her tributary tears. 

Shall we remain unmoved at the sombre notes of 
sacred melody, which have so often vibrated in God's 
leafy temple ? Shall we keep silent, while the sil- 
ver scaled fish and the feathered songsters, dumbly 
speak the praise of God ? Let us search the works 
of Nature and listen to the requiem now sung by 
the organ of the universe in accents of the deepest 
melody. And as our minds contemplate the rivers 
of time, which bear upon their bosoms many of the 
broken fragments of life — as they pursue their wind- 
ing courses to the great receptacle of all streams — 
let not our careless stupidity or the sin of age 
close our ears against the warning voice of such 
monitors. 

May we not stand forth in the field of life like 



130 

the mountain oak, hardened by the frosts of seventy- 
winters ? See that tree, towering above its fellows, 
and remaining obdurate amid the sunshine and storm 
of almost a century. Since it began to live, many 
of its neighboring trees have fallen and crumbled to 
dust. There it stands, challenging every means 
which Heaven has thrown around it for its fall. 
God would have nourished it with the rich graces 
of Heaven for his own Eden, and transplanted it 
upon the banks of the "River of Life ;" but repeated 
mercies and threatenings have been disregarded. 
Lo ! these many years the Benefactor of life has 
been seeking fruit upon it, but found none. Oh, 
woodman, spare this aged tree ! nor let the Savior 
plead in vain. 

The fading glories of Autumn are not only em- 
blematical of our own mortality, but of the crush of 
matter and final wreck of worlds. This earth, which 
has stood for ages, and braved the revolutions of 
time, must grow weary by old age, deviate in her 
course, and expire by the fires of the last day ! The 
sparkling stars of heaven that have long glittered 
on the mantle of night, must fall from their sockets 
like the leaves of Autumn ! The vast luminary of 
day, that gives light to the planetary system, shall 
be darkened by the wrath of God, and swell the fu- 
neral dirge of dying worlds ! The silver moon, with 
her dim rays, which have so long dispelled night's 
dreary curtain, shall be turned to blood ! Amid this 
scenery of dying Nature, I see worlds on worlds 
expiring in the agonies of death ! For thus saith 
the Lord, "The sun shall be darkened — the moon 
turned to blood — the stars shall fall from heaven, 
and the earth pass away." O, my God ! in this final 
scene of ruin, secure me from thy wrath, and give 
me a hiding place in thy salvation. 

May the works of Nature, which have been pre- 
sented for our consideration, excite us to adore the 
Fountain of all our mercies ; and as the day closes 



THE devil's preaching. 131 

by leaving its rays on the fading mountains, thus 
calmly may the writer and reader meet the Autumn 
of life. And when these barques of mortality shall be 
dissolved and enter one common sepulchre, may 
they, like the returning spring, be reanimated by the 
trump of the first resurrection, and awake in all the 
beauty of the rich sumbeams of the Son of God, and 
range the fields of light in the undying glories of the 
upper sanctuary. 



ORATION VIII. 
THE DEVIL'S PREACHING. 



'And the Serpent said unto the woman, ye shall not surely die. 
Genesis iii. 4, 



The word of God is a source of vast instruction , 
it confirms to man the origin of his creation, his 
primitive state of innocence, and his apostacy from 
the commands and approbation of his God. We 
learn from the Bible, that man was stationed in the 
Garden of Eden, endowed with authority to partake 
of all its delicious fruits, except that of one tree, 
which he was prohibited to partake of under the 
penalty of death. In this delightful paradise our 
first parents remained happy, until a certain preacher 
in his pilgrimage appeared to them, destroyed their 
happiness by his prevailing effort in preaching to 
them a lie — " Ye shall not surely die." 

" She plucked — she ate." 
Mankind were lost — earth felt the wound, 
Groaned to her centre, and in pangs expired. 



1^ 

This preacher has various titles given to him in 
the Scriptures ; but his most common name is the 
Devil. He was the instrument in destroying our 
first parents, as is evident from many passages of 
Scripture. Like an angel of glory he was once fill- 
ed with the light of Heaven, and to preach such 
doctrine he did violence to his own knowledge. 

He is an eminent preacher; he had existence 
long before men were created, and introduced the 
first falsehood ever preached to man, and by whose 
guile our first parents sunk beneath the curse of the 
law. Almost six thousand years he has been pro- 
claiming the same doctrine in its various forms, de- 
stroyed multitudes of the human family, and led 
them down to the second death. 

This preacher has much cunning. When the sor- 
cerer endeavored to turn away the people from the 
faith of the Gospel, he is called the " child of the 
Devil, and full of all manner of subtlety." This was 
not only on the account of his being an enemy of all 
righteousness, but in his manifesting his carnal cun- 
ning in destroying the souls of men. His labors are 
unabating ; his deception and zeal have been perpet- 
uated ever since the creation of man. The apostle 
compares him to a roaring lion, " walking about 
seeking whom he may devour." His answer to the 
question of the Lord, was " From going to and fro 
in the earth." His bounds are very extensive — he 
ranges through earth and hell, and his desires are 
to increase his numbers in his black domain. 

This preacher is heterogeneous. He lays hold of 
both truth and error to secure his victims. When 
he promised the Savior all the kingdoms of the world, 
and the glory of them, this poor devil possessed not 
a foot of land in the universe. Thus we see his 
deception in all his branches of hypocrisy. In his 
preaching he uses great presumption. When God 
had declared in the plainest terms, *' Thou shalt 
surely die," this audacious deceiver had the impu- 



THE devil's preaching. 133 

dence to oppose the declaration of God, and proclaim 
his own falsehood, "Ye shall not surely die." Thus 
he proved himself a liar by his own assertion, coun- 
teracting the declaration of Heaven. 

This preacher is successful in his labors to obtain 
numbers. Multitudes follow after him. He was 
successful with our first parents, and the old world. 
While Noah preached the righteousness of God to 
the spirits in prison, and the curse of disobedience, 
" Thou shalt surely die," this old deceiver would 
preach " Ye shall not surely die," and the people 
followed after him, and were destroyed. So, Avhen 
Lot preached to the Sodomites, " Up, get ye out of 
this place, for the Lord will destroy this city;" but 
they obeyed the old deceiver, who told them that 
Lot's preaching was false — there was no danger, 
" Ye shall not surely die." They obeyed his voice, 
and mocked at the preaching of Lot, and when the 
righteous fled from the city sudden destruction came 
upon them, and according to Jude, they are now 
"suffering the vengeance of eternal fire." 

,The doctrine of this preacher was universal sal- 
vation, " Ye sha]l not surely die." False and dar- 
ing assertion ! Not the least proof to confirm it ! 
The punishment contained in God's threatening, 
was doubtless eternal death, as nothing but this 
would represent God's extreme hatred of sin, or de- 
mand an infinite atonement to make reconciliation 
between God and man. If temporal death be the 
curse, then believers in Christ are not delivered from 
it ; for the Christian dies as well as the sinner. 
Therefore, the sentiments of'this universal preacher 
is no hell — no danger of eternal damnation — the 
wages of sin is not death, but eternal life. 

We will notice the person addressed in the text. 
It was a woman, called by an apostle, " the weaker 
vessel." " And the Serpent said unto the woman, 
ye shall not surely die." The reason he addressed 
Eve, v/as, because he thought she would not be as 



12 



134 rice's orations. 

firm against the temptation as the man, and in all 
probability would fall in with his fatal deception ; 
doubtless he embraced the opportunity in the absence i 
of her husband. This deceiver has had great suc- 
cess among the dark and ignorant portions of man- ^ 
kind. His kingdom is that of darkness, and he hates { 
the true light by which he fell from Heaven. Faukj 
describes him and his works, " For of this sort are ■ 
they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly- 
women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts." ' 
Again he declares: " Now, I beseech you, brethren,, 
mark them which cause divisions and offences con-- 
trary to the docrine which ye have learned, and 
avoid them. For they that are such serve not our • 
Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good 
words and fair speeches, deceive the hearts of the 
simple." 

The Devil is a foe to all goodness and happiness. 
He even desires the misery of the brute creation. 
He gloried in tormenting the swine when he entered 
into them, and his main object is the torment of all) 
creation. 

The old Serpent, before he began to preach his doc- 
trine, was a cunning and happy creature ; but now 
all his beauty and glory have departed. The im- 
precation of God is upon him ; for the Lord said unto 
him, " Thou art cursed above every beast ; upon 
thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all) 
the days of thy life." 

We see his cunning duplicity in this manner — for 
the Devil gets both the preacher and hearers. Sa- 
tan has many agents under him to do his will, be- 
cause his dominions are extensive ; and as he is a 
created being, he can exist only in one place at a 
time. 

We will now consider the instrument made use 
of by the preacher. It was a serpent ; but why 
should the Devil preach through a serpent ? To 
save his own name and the better complete his 



THE devil's preaching. 135 

purposes. Had he appeared to the woman un- 
masked, she would with more ease have discerned 
his deception. 

The reality of eternal damnation is at times so 
clearly enstamped on the mind, that even the Devil 
sometimes confesses there is a hell; yet at other 
times he denies it. He desires to hide his lies 
from his prey, that he may with more ease secure 
it and save his own real character, which is black 
with treason, and full of all manner of hypocrisy. 

This same Devil that preached through the ser- 
pent to Eve, is still preaching the same falsehood, 
" Ye shall not surely die." Universal salvation, 
with a multitude of his other deceptions, has been 
his theme through all the generations of mankind, 
down to this present day. This doctrine is not new, 
but old and devilish. This is the ground why it 
should be rejected. The reason why Satan hates 
the Bible, is, because it proves him a liar, and de- 
stroys his false position when it says, " Go ye in- 
to all the world and preach the Gospel to every 
creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall 
be saved ; and he that believeth not shall be damn- 
ed." We see why Satan used such efforts to con- 
vince our first parents there was no hell, because he 
was afraid they would believe the truth of God and 
obey it, and be forever blessed with all their race, 
and he be damned alone, Avith all his fallen angels. 
If future punishment be not true, the Devil would be 
a fool to be so anxious to convince people there is 
none; for it is his nature to lie. "And when he 
speaketh a lie, he speaketh of himself, for he is a 
liar and the father of it." 

We infer from the text that ministers should not 
be proud of their preaching, especially if they preach 
the Devil's doctrine, for they only use his old ser- 
mon, "Ye shall not surely die." preached. by him 
almost six thousand years ago. This system of uni- 
versal salvation will prevail, for it well suits the 



136 



RICE S ORATIONS. 



wicked inclinations of man ; and the Devil, its au- 
thor, is not yet superannuated, nor will he be, until 
the commissioned angel of God " shall descend from 
Heaven with a great chain in his hand, and shall 
bind him and cast him into prison." Then shall 
his preaching die and his followers be no more on 
earth, " For all men shall know the Lord, from the 
least to the greatest." Every effort used against 
this universal preacher only excites his envy and 
enrages his black designs for the final destruction 
of the souls of men. 

If the Devil's scheme of universal salvation is true, 
and there be no possibility of eternal damnation, the 
heralds of that doctrine are inconsistent in using such 
exertion to publish their belief to mankind, for it mat- 
ters not what their faith and actions maybe, the Gos- 
pel net will finally bring them all into the New Jer- 
usalem, and a new song shall be put into their mouths, 
even praise to God. 

If this plan of the Devil is true, its votaries 
counteract common sense when they spend their 
money to support their preachers, and spread their 
principles with no avail ; for the unbeliever is as 
sure of eternal salvation as the believer, therefore 
man needs no knowledge in faith or practice to be 
saved. 

Again : If the Devil's preaching be true, the Bi- 
ble is false. Man may better believe in nothing 
future than to believe the words of the Devil, be- 
cause there is no truth in him, The precept of 
the Savior and that of Satan have no fellowship ; 
for the preaching of Satan is the universal and 
eternal salvation of all men, while that of the Sa- 
vior is eternal salvation for the righteous and eter- 
nal damnation for the wicked, because this is the 
testimony of the word of God : " He that sinneth 
against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but 
is in danger of eternal damnation." Such a place 



THE devil's preaching. 137 

therefore must exist, or there can be no danger 
of it. 

Again, saith Jesus: "Depart, ye cursed, into 
everlasting fire." Here the Greek word in the origi- 
nal is the same when applied to the saints as to the 
sinners ; so if there be an eternal Heaven for the 
righteous, there must be an eternal hell for the wick- 
ed. From scripture testimony, we have the same 
reason to believe one as the other; and to believe 
otherwise, is to prefer the preaching of Satan to that 
of the Lord ; to choose the works of the Devil in 
preference to the Gospel of the Son of God. This 
is the way the old Serpent and his preachers destroy 
the children of men, and lead them on in blindness 
down to eternal death. As the uncautious dove is 
taken by the springing of the net, so are sinners 
caught by Satan, and many of them will remain 
with eyes blinded, until they are opened among 
devils and damned spirits in the flames of hell, 
" Where the worm dieth not, and the fire is not 
quenched." To some, these may be hard sayings, 
but they are such as the word of God proclaims to 
man. 

If the Serpent's scheme of universal salvation be 
true, how inconsistent for Noah to warn the people 
of the impending storm that would soon burst on 
their devoted heads, when in that moment they 
perished their souls would receive " a far more ex- 
ceeding, and eternal weight of glory ?" And while 
they were basking in the full blaze of the Son of 
righteousness, Noah was left for many years to bear 
the burden of this life, losing for a season, at least, 
the unspeakable bliss of Heaven, which those vile 
transgressors, who had often railed on him and their 
God, were already enjoying. Righteous Lot must 
also have been exceedingly unwise, when he warn- 
ed the people of Sodom and Gomorrah to flee God's 
approaching vengeance, or to escape with his wife 
and two daughters from the city ; when in that mo- 



12 



138 rice's orations. 

ment brimstone and fire should descend from clouds 
surcharged with death, the soul with the speed of 
thought would leave her clay building and soar to 
the abode of cherubim, to magnify forever in the 
unspeakable bliss of Heaven. Thus we see the 
sooner the saint or sinner dies, the quicker his hap- 
piness is confirmed in all the glories of the upper 
world. 

According to the scheme of general salvation, no 
man has any reason to fear the change produced by 
death, but rather rejoice in it; for it accelerates his 
eternal life. The most hostile murderer that treads 
the green earth, has reason to give thanks to God 
that he is more expert than other men in opening 
the door of Heaven to his victims, and thereby in- 
cur the penalty of the law to hasten his own salva- 
tion. The vilest champion that ever lived has done 
the greatest good ; because he has hastened the eter- 
nal happiness of millions, and shortened their earthly 
sorrows, by producing their untimely death ; dried 
up the widow's and the orphan's tears, and made 
them rejoice that their relatives have speedily reach- 
ed the port of eternal rest. This is universalism in 
its plainest terms ; the preaching of the Serpent, in- 
spired with the poison of hell. 

This system of the Devil encourages mankind to 
carry out the propensities of human nature, without 
any motive to restrain their career. The liar can 
deceive his fellow men by his falsehood, without 
any fear of a future judgment. The swearer can 
rail on his God by his impious blasphemy, with a 
heart of adamant, fearless of the justice due to his 
crimes. The debauchee can glory in his iniquity ; 
yet have confidence in his future salvation. The 
robber that steals from his neighbor, has no remorse 
for his sins ; but, with a hope big with immortality, 
climbs Jacob's ladder and scales the highlands of 
Heaven. The tale-bearer that scatters the seed of con- 
tention, and proves himself a foul whelp of sin, casts 



THE devil's preaching. 139 

his anchor within the vail, and feels his barque secure 
against the quicksands of death. The foulest being 
that lives on the footstool of God, guilty of murder, 
theft, and blasphemy, and every wicked act man can 
commit, may look with confidence on the blood of 
atonement, without repentance on the shores of time, 
and with unshaken hope call Jesus his Savior, and 
Heaven his eternal home. But why this great sal- 
vation for such a list of unconverted sinners, because 
the old Serpent says there is no hell — " Ye shall not 
surely die ?" Such is the black scheme of the 
Devil to intrude on the premises of God and the 
rights of man ; such his cunning to deceive Adam's 
lost race, until the day of mercy is closed against 
them, and they made fast by chains of God's wrath 
in the prison of eternal death. Awake, my soul ! 
and nil that is within me, against the intrusion of 
Satan's kingdom upon the just claims of God on 
the human race. 

All preachers and believers in universal salvation, 
have built their house upon the sand. And if their 
hearts are as vile as their creed is false, they stand 
on the verge of an endless hell ; on which, if they 
remain until death shall sunder soul and body, the 
abode of lost angels will be their habitation forever. 
For the Judge shall ascend his throne, " And before 
Him all nations shall be gathered together ; and He 
shall separate them one from another, and put the 
goats on the left hand ;" then shall He say unto 
them, "Depart, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, pre- 
pared for the Devil and his angels." 

If the principles advanced be founded on the Bible, 
how presumptuous for any man " to believe a lie that 
he might be damned." This life is the time for men 
to awake from their lethargy and put on the gar- 
ments of truth and honesty, for " The night cometh, 
when no man can work." 

These few hints of caution I publish to that part 
of the human race who are yet on this side the river 



140 rice's orations. 

Jordan, in possession of probationary ground, that 
they may flee from the Devil's preaching while it is 
called to-day, before they plunge the second death, 
where the atonement by a Savior's blood shall never 
enter with the voice of pardon, but the bitter wail- 
ings of the second death be closed upon them for- 
ever. Then, my reader, it will be too late to obtain 
salvation, for the summer will be past, the harvest 
ended, and the immortal spirit damned. This is the 
truth of Heaven — the sure declaration of the word 
of God. 

We learn that the Devil's preaching of universal 
salvation is dangerous in the extreme ; that it is one 
of the greatest libels that ever intruded on the word 
of God or the souls of men. It is the master-piece 
of Satan's devices, and the greatest cunning he ever 
used for the final destruction of the human race. 
By this game of deception, the eyes of multitudes 
have been closed in darkness until their day of mer- 
cy was passed, and their glaring eyes opened for the 
first time on the flames of hell, to wail in agony " in 
the blackness of darkness forever." If men, by this 
false scheme, are so unwise as to lose their souls, 
how great must be their loss — how great their lamen- 
tation ? At death their accounts will be sealed 
up for damnation, and for them there will be no 
reprieve. Too late they will cry out in the despair 
of their souls, " O, that I had been wise; that I 
had understood this ; that I had considered my lat- 
ter end." 

My reader ! this may be the last oration I shall 
ever offer to my fellow-travellers through life's dreary 
pilgrimage. And if such it may prove, be assured 
of this one thing, in whatever I have published I 
have had an eye single for man's temporal and eter- 
nal welfare. It has been my intention to clear my 
skirts of the blood of all men. And whether the 
drunkard, warrior, slaveholder, or any other being 
who deviates from the requirements of Heaven, will 



I 



THE devil's preaching. 141 

near my admonitions or reject them, I have felt un- 
willing to enter the dreary sepulchre and sleep the 
long sleep of death, without leaving my last intel- 
lectual Will and Testament, sealed by the spirit of 
friendship for the happiness of my countrymen. 
My existence on earth is like the visionary dream, 
and will soon terminate forever. Ere long, I and 
my reader must stand before the great white throne, 
receive our final retribution, and inherit eternal life 
with the holy angels of Heaven or plunge the fires of 
endless damnation to wail with devils lost. Solemn 
realities ! laden with the momentous weight of im- 
mortal existence. * 



THE AUTHOR'S FAITH. 



Article 1. I believe in one uncreated, omnipotent, 
and eternal God, the creator and preserver of all 
worlds, existing in three persons, Father, Son, and 
Holy Ghost. 

Article 2. That God created man holy, left him to 
the freedom of his own choice ; that he sinned 
against God, and brought death upon himself and 
all his posterity. 

Article 3. " That by the disobedience of one man, 
judgment passed upon all men unto condemna- 
tion ; even so by the righteousness of one, the free 
gift came upon all men unto justification of life." 

Article 4. " That except a man be born again, he 
cannot enter into the kingdom of God ; for that 
which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which 
is born of the spirit is spirit." 

Article 5. That the Lord will reign on earth one 
thousand years ; at which time Satan shall be 
bound, and all mankind shall know the Lord from 
the least to the greatest. 

Article 6. That the earth shall be destroyed by fire, 
" And there shall be a new heaven and a new 
earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." 

Article 7. That the Son of Man shall come in great 
power and glory to judge the world, and before 
Him all mankind shall be gathered together, and 
he shall separate the righteous from the wicked, 
and send the wicked into everlasting punishment, 
and receive the righteous into life eternal. 

Article 8. That the Lord has but one spiritual 
church on earth, composed of all those persons 
who have Christ in the soul the hope of glory. 




POETICAL INTRODUCTION. 



Go, richest boon my soul has power to give, 
On mercy's pinions through earth's regions fly; 

Tell the lost sinner he in Christ may live, 

And pluck the fruit of Life's fair Tree on high. 

Direct the alien to his risen God ; 

Urge him to leave the road that leads to hell ' 
Tell him this day to flee his Father's rod ; 

To-morrow he may wail where demons dwell. 

Point the sad mourner to that living beam. 

That shines through Him who did for sin atone 

Inspire his soul by that all-healing stream. 

That gushes forth from God's immortal throne. 

Then shall the writer of this little book 
Rejoice to see his work by Jesus blest; 

To feel the virtue of that smiling look. 
Which bears the spirit to eternal rest. 

God of all grace, send thy rich blessings down, 
Cheer up the reader's and the writer's heart ; 

May all the lost be wise to wear a crown 
Which thy free grace is waiting to impart. 

Then shall the glory to thy name be given. 
For thou art worthy — thou alone canst save , 

Thou art the true and living Way to Heaven, 
The only God that rescues from the grave. 



I 



144 rice's rOETRY. 

GOD. 

O, Thou celestial King ! whose ample light 

Doth occupy all space, all nature guide; 
Immutable through time's destroying flight; 

The true and living God — there's none beside: 
King above all kings — the Omnific One, 

Whom saints and angels never can explore, 
Who. spoke creation, and the work was done; 

This is our Father — we this God adore. 

Philosoph}' , in research most sublime. 

May weigh the ocean and describe the star, 
But no skill in prose, or the poet's rhyme, 

Surve3^s our plastic Monarch in his car. 
Mysterious God ! Reason's brightest spark, 

Kindled by light from Thee, in vain would try 
To know thy wisdom infinite and dark ; 

Or search the ways of thy eternity. 

O God ! from non-existence thou didst call, 

First chaos — then all creation — from Thee 
Eternity took its boundless name — all 

Things created came from Thee — harmony, 
Life, light, bliss, thou art the origin— ^thine 

All glory is, for thou doest yet create; — 
Thy vivid rays inspire all space divine ; 

Thou God of light — sustaining Potentate. 

Thy arms the boundless universe surround ; 

Sustained by Thee — by thee inspired with breath ! 
Thou all creation in thy chains hast bound, 

And strangely sown the seeds of life and death. A 
As sparks ascending in the nitrous blaze ; *5 

So sun and moon were born — stars sprung from 
Thee ; 
And as those orbs extend their fulgent rays, 

Like floods of silver I thy glory see. 

Unnumbered worlds created by thy hand. 

Wind their vast courses through the blue abyss, 



I 



rice's poetry. 145 

Adore thy power, obey thy dread command, 
Teeming with life, and all complete with bliss. 

What are their names ? orbs of celestial light — 
A golden multitude of brilliant streams — 

Tapers of purest air — in lustre bright — 

Supernal suns with all their splendid beams. 

Just like a drop of water in the sea, 

In Thee, all this unequalled glory's lost ! 
What are the starry worlds compared to Thee ? 

And what am I with thy celestial host ? 
Though my immortal spirit be arrayed 

In all the rapture of angelic thought, 
' Tis but a speck when in thy balance weighed, 

Compared to Thee, is but a cypher brought. 
Yet I'm the essence of thy light divine, 

Thy brilliant worlds inspire my bosom too, 
And on my heart doth thy blest spirit shine, 

As shines the sun upon the morning dew. 
I live, and move, and on thy mercy fly. 

Thy matchless love unites my soul to Thee j 
I ever feel thy quick'ning presence nigh, 

Which draws me on to thy Divinity. 

Thou art the sole Director of my heart ! 

let my wand'ring spirit learn of Thee ; 
Thy boundless mercy to my soul impart ; 

Though but a speck in thy immensity ! 
Yet I must live, since fashioned by thy hand, 

And rank above the fallen sons of earth ! 
Short is my stay among this mortal band ; 

Soon I'll ascend where angels have their birth. 

Infinite God ! thou did'st my soul create. 

And stamp in me a spark of endless life ! 
0, save my spirit from lost angels' fate; 

Bear it above the woes of dying strife ! 
Escort me on the pinions of strong faith 

O'er Jordan's waves, and help my spirit rise 
Above this rolling sphere, by truth which saith, 

"Believe in God," and soar the upper skies. 



13 



146 rice's poetry. 

Creative being is in me complete, 

Though my frail dust of lowest order sigh; 
My step is onward to an angel's seat ; — 

I guide the lightnings as they madly fly ! 
A worm am I ! — yet spirit in my flight I 

Strangely constructed by some plastic Sire, 
Whose name is God, — the omnipresent light; 

Transporting aliens to a seraph's lyre. 

The stern commission of thy voice "Be still," 

The lightning's thunder with terrific sheen, — 
The bounding ocean and the flowing rill. 

Declare thy glory! — though a God unseen. 
The strange construction of the creature man, — 

All grades of life that through creation run, 
Confirm thy wisdom in its Godlike plan ; 

And prove thy nature and thy name is one. 

Thou art that God, who sympathized and wept 

With sisters, mourning at their brother's tomb. 
Thy voice awoke a Laz'rus, who had slept 

Four days a corse beneath the tyrant's doom. 
Though my frail dust in sundry atoms fly 

On curly winds, or float the beaten strand ; 
Yet shall 1 hear thy mandate from on high, 

"Arise, ye dead," and wing the spirit land. 

Yes, though I die, I sure shall rise again 

Amid the raging of our globe on fire ; 
And meet a world condemned because of sin, 

To feel the sentence of thy flaming ire. 
When thou shalt sit upon thy throne, God ! 

And call the dead around thy judgment bar, 
let me feel thy all-sustaining nod. 

And through thy Son be safe in Zion's car. 

Of thoughts unspeakable my soul is blest ! 

Though feeble my perception, Lord, of thee; 
Long shall thy fadeless glory fill my breast. 

And bear my homage to thy Deity. 
Father ! to thee alone my thoughts can soar ; 

Thou art my rock, my shield, and strong defence ; 



rice's poetry. 147 

By lIij vast works tlij wisdom I adore, 
And call thee Father, God, Omnipotence. 



ACKOSTIC OX OKRA RICE. 

0...n thy hopes of youthful fancy, 

R...ushing o'er earth's chequered scenes, 

R...ose a Star in full-orbed glory, 
A. ..11 bedecked with golden beams. 

R...est then graced thy dove-like features, 
I...nnocence inspired thine eye ; 

C.onflicts all with thee were over, 
E...v'ry tear and ev'ry sigh. 



SEEKING GOD EARLY. 

Come when the glory of thy years is brightest, 

Thou young sojourner in this lonely maze ; 
Come, when thy youthful heart is beating lightest, 

And God the Spirit sheds his purest rays ; 
Come, when thy thoughts the gems of life are holding, 

Which wake up glory in thy sinful breast ; 
Come, when the saving tide for thee is rolling. 

Drink of the fountain which secures thy rest. 

Soon will the vigor of thy youth be over. 

Thy days be past, thy spirit left forlorn ; 
Pleasure will lose her plume, and every lover 

Will to the region of the grave be borne ; 
Those who have blessed thee will .have passed the 
river, 

Their hearts of friendship shall be lost to thee ; 
Then wilt thou need from the Almighty Giver, 

That balm which heals and sets the sinner free. 

Come, while thy youthful blood is freely flowing 
Ere thy vain dreams of fleeting fancy die : 



148 rice's poetry. 

Come, ere the spell mankind are round thee throwing, 
Fades like the sunbeam in the western sky. 

This life's a phantom, but the hope of glory 
Lights up thy pathway with a cheerful ray; 

0, touch the sceptre, and repeat the story, 
Jesus my Savior washed my stain away. 

Then will the sorrows of this brief existence 

Seem naught but bubbles to thy raptured soul ; 
Thy race is fleeting, short will be the distance, 

Until thy spirit hail its final goal. 
Land of the pilgrims ! where all Heaven is ringing, 

And spirits linger in unfading bliss ; 
Where ransomed minstrels are with angels singing, 

Who would not come and seek a land like this ? 



"I WILL NOT LET THEE GO." 

Begone my unbelieving fear ! 

And in my heart no more have place ; 
My Jesus to my soul appear, 

Display the triumphs of thy grace j 
Dear Lord I cannot let thee go. 

And to the raging tempter yield, 
No, guarded, by my Savior, no, 

I never will give up my shield. 

What if the vine no fruit shall yield, 

The olive branch produce no oil ? 
The fig tree wither in the field, 

The earth evade the farmer's toil? 
What if the stall no herd afl^ord. 

And all the bleating race shall die? 
Yet will I claim the Gospel sword, 

And on faith's eagle pinions fly. 

What if my soul unfruitful be, 

And in my heart no grace appear ? 

No fruit for all my toil I see ? 

But sin and nauo^ht but sin is here. 



rice's poetry. 149 

What if God's love to me is gone, 
And left my smitten heart to bleed ? 

Yet Jesus will not leave forlorn 
My soul to die, but shall it feed. 

By faith I claim my Savior's love ! 

His love my stricken heart shall bless ; 
His quick'ning spirit from above. 

Shall robe me with his righteousness : 
To me his mercy shall be nigh : 

By faith I'll soon outride the gale, 
And soar to mansions far on high. 

Where Satan shall no more assail. 




ALL THINGS MORTAL. 

A rose-bud blossomed on her stem, 

The queen of Flora's rich domain, 
She wore her matchless diadem. 

Most graceful of the blooming train; 
But eve came on with freezing breath, 

And ere the morning light of day, 
Her glories by the blast of death. 

And vernal beauties passed away. 

Lo ! when the morning graced the sky, 
I saw the harmless virgin's love ; 



13 



150 rice's poetry. 

Her charming voice with angels vie, S 

Her passions harmless as the dove : " 

But when the evening shades appear'd 
I saw her visage pale as clay ; 

In hasty flight she disappeared, 
And all her glory passed away. 

I saw the giant's lofty form, 

Like some strong tower where tempests blow, 
That braves the rao^inor of the storm, 

And firm retains its base below. 
Again I looked with piercing eye. 

His mighty strength had lost its sway; | 

He told me he must shortly die — ' 

And soon by death was borne away. 

I looked, and lo ! with deep surprise. 

This earth had no enduring grace ; 
Nothing to make man's spirit wise, 

No power to save the fallen race. 
I asked the grave, and it replied, 

Mankind must to my sceptre fall; 
All ancient ages groaned and died, 

The curse of God has passed on all. 



THE FINAL WRECK OF WORLDS. 

Awake, my soul, to future prospects ! 

Sing creation's dismal groan, 
Final scene foretold by prophets, 

Scene that makes all nature mourn : 
O ! what wailing, what confusion, 

Will the sinner's heart inspire ; 
What dismay, distress and sorrow. 

Reign when worlds dissolve in fire. 

Forked lightning, dismal thunder, 
' Thwart the gloom in awful glare, 

Nature to her centre trembling. 
Makes affrighted sinners stare. 



RICE S POETRY. 151 

Tow'ring rocks and crumbling mountains, 
On their firm foundations quake; 

Worlds on worlds heave to their centre, 
And their final groans partake. 

Oceans deep in dread commotion, 

Rage about their frightful shores ; 
Frantic winds in awful fury, 

Round each crumbling fabric roars. 
King of day is cloth'd in sackcloth, 

In deep mourning stands afright, 
Silver moon has lost her glory. 

Orbs on orbs are dress'd in night. 

Brilliant stars in lustre shining. 

Twinkling on the nightly robe, 
From their orbits hurl'd expiring, 

Each a dark and ruin'd globe. 
Lo ! the final trump is sounding, 

Sunders wide the azure sky, 
Direful wrath of God resounding. 

Countless worlds in mourning die. 



MISSIONARY HYMN. 

Come, my friends, and gather round me, 

All your ofl^^'rings freely bring, 
Pledge yourselves when waves surround me, 

You will pray to Christ, your King ; 
And when o'er the deep blue waters 

I shall preach a Savior's love, 
Pray that I and China's daughters 

May be harmless as the dove. 

Christ has said of ev'ry nation, 
Where the wave of sin doth roll, 

I will spread my great salvation. 
To set free the deathless soul ; 

China's gates are now expanded. 
Let us go and take the field. 



152 rice's poetry. 

Strongest chains will be disbanded, 
And the works of darkness yield. 

What though kindred ties are broken, 

And the bitter tear must fall, 
When the " well done " Master's token, 

I'll with joy each scene recall ; 
I will fear not, God will save me, 

He will guide me o'er the deep, 
His all-cheering grace he'll give me, 

And my soul from danger keep. 



WASHINGTON'S FUNERAL DIRGE. 

*' Our Hero's dead, a doleful sound," 

Deep gloom enshrouds the fun'ral hall ; 
Dark waves of sorrow beat around. 

And tears of grief in mourning fall; 
Our Union bleeds from ev'ry vein ; 

Her Patriot lives on earth no more. 
Our Chieftain cruel death has slain, 

And left him sleeping in his gore. 

He led our armies in the field, 

And made the hostile Britons quail; 
God's favor was his giant shield. 

For by his strength he did prevail: 
He broke oppression's iron rod. 

And said " My people shall be free ;" 
And by the plastic arm of God, 

He raised the flag of liberty. 

By wisdom deep the British yoke 

He drove from our auspicious land ; 
All foreign chains by him were broke 

As he led forth the infant band ; 
The genius of his matchless skill 

Oft saved his men from wounds and death ; 
They were obedient to his will, 

Extolled him with their latest breath. 



?.ICE's rOETRY. 153 

The Man who did his country save 

From threatened bondage and despair, 
Lies cold and silent in the grave, 

Which long shall hold its victim there : 
His fame shall live, though he's no more, 

While wheels of time shall roll around ; 
His name shall spread from shore to slice, 

With lasting honors shall be crowned 

Mount Vernon is his resting place, 

The winds are howling o'er his tomb 
A monument his ashes grace. 

As he partakes our common doom. 
America, dry up your tears ; 

God will your land in mercy save ; 
Abandon all your doubts and fears, 

And live for him ye pious brave. 

Our Hero, from the climes above 

Looks down to see our country rise ; 
And with a soul endowed with love 

Beholds our well-begotten prize. 
Father ! we hail thee in that land, 

Where thou art ever with the free, 
To mingle with the blood-bought band 

Who wear the crowns of Calvary. 



THE COLPORTEUR'S MESSAGE. 

Go, Messenger of Jesus, 

O'er waters, hill and dale. 
And spread the name that pleases 

By ev'ry gentle gale ; 
On faith's all-cheering pinion 

Help on the joyful sound, 
Till Christ shall have dominion, 

And Satan shall be bound. 

Salvation, Salvation, 
Bear to the sinner's ear, 



154 rice's poetry. 

Till ev'ry land and nation 

The joyful news shall hear: 
Go to the friends of Satan, 

Invite the hearts that grieve, 
Go to the heavy laden, 

Their mourning souls relieve. 
In all the haunts of pleasure, 

Where sordid joys are found, 
Unfold the richest treasure, 

Which for their souls abound ; 
Direct them to the Savior, 

Who hung upon the tree, 
That they might live forever 

And crowns of glory see. 

Endow'd w^ith Gospel treasures, 

Go to the drunkard's home. 
Unfold to him the pleasures 

Of Christians yet to come; 
Invite him to the Savior, 

Tell him there yet is room 
To leave his bad behavior, 

And shun the drunkard's doom. 
Go to the raging swearer. 

Who thus offends his Lord, 
Tell him you are the bearer 

Of God's most precious word; 
Pray him to furl his banner, 

So deeply stain'd with blood, 
And in an humble manner, 

Leave all his sins for God. 

Go to the guilty robber, 

Who for the love of gold 
Denied his Lord and Master, 

And by it lost his soul; 
Tell him by deep repentance 

Salvation is combin'd. 
Though he has had his sentence, 

Reprieve he yet may find. 



rice's poetry. 155 

Go, pi each to all transgressors, 

The murd'rer and the thief, 
To all the vile oppressors, 

The Gospel sends relief; 
By sighs and deep repentance, 

Through faith in Jesus' name. 
The soul may yet have entrance, 

And live through mercy's claim. 

But if the Gospel treasure. 

The sinner will refuse, 
And in his ways take pleasure, 

The word of God abuse ; 
When death shall end the conflict, 

He down to hell must go, 
And there remain a convict 

To reap eternal woe. 



THE CHRISTIAN'S HOPE OF HEAVEN. 

Now let this mortal body fail. 

Now let it faint away and die. 
Yet my blest soul shall quit this vale 

And live in shining worlds on high; 
Will join the disembodied throng, 

And find through grace eternal rest. 
And sing with saints that glorious song 

Redemption wilh the angels blest. 

In Hope of that celestial crown 

I do my Savior's cross sustain. 
And as I wander up and down 

With patience bear my grief and pain — 
I'll suffer on my few short years, 

' Till my sustaining Jesus come 
And take away my grief and fears. 

And waft me to my spirit home. 

What hath my Savior bought for me 
Before my starlit ravished eyes ? 



156 rice's poetry. 

A fount of life divine I see, 
And living trees of Paradise. 

I see a cloud of spirits there 

All clothed in robes of spotless white; 

They stars of living vic'try wear, 

And crowns of Heaven-born lustre bright. 

What then are my short sufF'rings here, 

If Jesus count my spirit meet 
With that angelic host appear, 

And fall before his shining feet ? 
Give sorrows here, give joy or pain, 

Take dearej:t friends and life away, 
But let me find those friends again 

In climes of God's eternal day. 



THE FINAL JUDGMENT. 

Lo ! the Son of God appearing, 
Angels wait his voice to hear ; 

Clothed in power, is now descending, 
Horror strikes the sinner's ear ; 

On the full-arched golden rainbow- 
Christ exalted sits on high. 

Thousands of his flaming warriors 
Bear his mission as they fly. 

*' Go," saith Jesus, " go my heralds, 

Bring my children from afar — 
Those who in me found redemption, 

Bring them to the Morning Star." 
Soon a band of warriors mounted 

On swift wings to skim the skies, 
From the throne of God descended, 

Gather'd home the ransom'd prize. 

Rais'd from graves, poor sinners tremble, 

At the final trumpet's sound, 
Gazing on with consternation, 

WaiHng at the scene profound — 



rice's poetry. 157 

Fill'd with fear and deepest anguish, 

Cry for rocks them to destro}^ 
Mournful tears — they sigh and languish, 

Wail the loss of endless joy. 

*' Come, ye sinners, come to judgment : 

"Word of God now draw thy sword ! 
Wicked world begin to wonder, 

Tremble at the awful word ! 
Go, ye curs'd, and drink my vengeance, 

Sink in gloomy pits of fire. 
You who did reject my mere}'-. 

Go partake my flaming ire." 

Down they sink in burning sulphur, 

Banish'd from the Savior's rest, 
Where the soul's undying horror, 

Ceaseless beats in ev'ry breast, 
There the sinner raves in darkness. 

Where the deathless fires shall roll — 
There the devils do surround him, 

And torment his dying soul. 




THE FARMER'S CONSOLATION. 

I saw the Farmer at his plough, 

As I was passing by ; 
And wearied was his toiling frame. 

Beneath the burning sky ; 



14 



158 rice's poetry. 

I thought his slavi.^h lot was hard, 

And thanks I gave to God, 
Tha'. 1 was not like him confined, 

In scorching suns to plod. 

I see him now with harvest decked, 

When garden, tree and field, 
Impart their flowing stores to fill 

His barns with what they yield. 
His children sprightly as the lark, 

At his command rejoice ; 
They all obey in needful toil 

Their father's friendly voice. 

The dog his master's joy partakes, 

And guards the loaded grain; 
The feathered poultry on the wing 

Call forth their joyful train. 
Perchance the husband's wife draws nigh, 

The ample scene surveys, 
And calls on God with grateful tears 

To guide their evening praise. 

The harvest Giver they adore, 

Creator of the soil ; 
Who made this earth to give them br^ad, 

And bless their daily toil. 
Behold them on a winter's day, 

With ample table spread ; 
And you may see the Farmer blest 

With raiment, meat, and bread. 

Such are the gifts that God bestows 

On those who till the ground. 
That they for food shall never beg, 

While fields of grain abound. 
The Farmer has his loss and pain ; 

But less by far than they. 
Who in the truant's footsteps run, 

To pass their time away. 



159 



ADORATION AND PRAYER. 



• Thou Great First Cause, least understood,* 

Who did all worlds create, 
And with thy voice pronounc'd them good, 

When in their finish'd state. 
No human skill can e'er survey 

The wonders of thy grace ; 
Unnumbered worlds do Thee obey, 

And all the heav'nly race. 

Man, from the dust thou did'st create, 

Made him a living soul ; 
From paradise he plunged in fate, 

By Satan's sad control. 
The starry worlds pronounce Thee good, 

And all creation round ; 
From thee we have our daily food. 

All other gifts abound. 

Though man has wander'd from his God, 

Yet streams of mercy flow ; 
*Twere just if man should feel his rod, 

And God no mercy show. 
*' Father of all ! in ev'ry age," 

While through this world I stray, 
May wisdom all my powers engage, 

' Till I am call'd away. 

And as I pass throug^h life's short day, 

What'er my fate may be ; 
O, may I not forget to pray, 

And look by faith to Thee. 
And when my journey here shall end. 

And I am called to die ; 
Let some kind friend from Heaven descend 

To take me up on high. 

There I shall meet the chosen few, 
Who fear'd their Father's rod ; 



160 rice's poetry. 

Who did in wisdom's path pursue, 
Which led them home to God : 

Join with the bright angelic band, 
On golden harps to sing ; 

And range fair Canaan's happy land. 
Where heav'nly arches ring. 



THE CHRISTIAN MARTYR. 

Strong was the dungeon's dreary wall, 

Hard was the marble floor ; 
Her iron bolts, and chains, and bars, 

Made fast her pond'rous door : 
No cheerino- licrht e'er shone within 

The Martyr's dreary cell ; 
But loathsome reptiles oft were known 

To with the captive dwell. 

No carpet and no curtain there, 

To cheer the dismal scene. 
Except that which a spider wove 

About the mildew green : 
There, bound in chains of deepest gloom, 

The pris'ner dwelt alone ; — 
His tiresome bed a heap of straw, 

Laid on a chilly stone. 

But scanty was his portioned food 

Of water and of bread ; 
And tattered were the clothes he wore, 

And sore his aching head : 
His grief-worn sorrows who can tell. 

That has not felt his doom ; 
The king of day has never shone 

To cheer his living tomb. 

In midnight gloom the angels know 

His prayer to God arose, 
" Save from the woes of endless night 

Mv most destructive foes: 



rice's poetry. 161 

" Open their eyes that they may see 

This innocence of mine, 
And glorify thy worthy name 

While on the shores of time. 

" I ask Thee not to pluck this thorn ; 

But give me living faith, 
To honor thy Almighty name, 

In prison and in death." 
That living faith to him was given, 

While burning at the stake ; 
For on his brow shone light from Heaven, 

When in God's name he spake. 



PROOF OF GOD'S EXISTENCE. 

To prove a God all nature speaks ; 

Through earth and air his works we see ; 
From threat'ning clouds his lightning streaks, 

His morning sun makes darkness flee. 
The king of day in lustre bright 

All o'er the world's revolving frame, 
Declares by his effulgent light 

The glory of his Maker's name. 

Diffusing life to all around, 

With ample feasts the world o'erspread ; 
The fields are by his blessing crowned, 

And herbage rises from the dead. 
For man and beast abundant food 

All o'er the earth in mercy grows; 
And when they pant in thirsty mood, 

They drink the stream that gently flows. 

The flow'ry tribes i« all their train. 
Which far excel the power of art ; 

And birds with their exalted strain, 
Bear true conviction to the heart. 

The mind of man that roves abroad 

Through scenes of earth and worlds above. 



•u 



162 rice's poetry. 

Surveys tlie footsteps of his Lord, 
And feels the presence of his love. 

The shining orbs that run their rounds, 

And with their lustre deck the sky; 
The Gospel which in grace abounds 

With revelation from on high ; 
The thunder with terrific roar, 

And show'rs that from the clouds descend 
Confirm a God ! — we ask no more : — 

His vast existence has no end. 




THE FLOWERS OF THE FIELD. 

The verdant Flow'rs are blooming, 

In ample troops appear, 
Their golden buds are breaking 

On landscapes far and near; — 
The meads and gardens waving 

With these rich gem-s of God, 
Cheer up the soul that 's mourning 

Under affliction's rod. 

These star-lit Flow'rs are bending 

By ev'ry gentle breeze ; 
O'er earth's broad circle smiling;— 

The feast of toiling bees ; 
From sun-lit waving oceans, 

Lake, vale, and mountain sod, 



RICE S rOETUY. 163 

These gems in all their beauty 
Display the works of God. 

They come with full-orbed glory 

In summer's genial rays, 
And on earth's dreary surface 

Console man's eager gaze ; 
They fill each heart with wonder;—- 

King Solomon outshine, 
From all the sweets of nature 

Rich odors they combine. 

If God on Flowers is shining, 

And gives them ev'ry hue ; 
How much more bless the faithful, 

That in his truth pursue ? 
Sweet gems immortal waving, 

Shall grace the ransomed soul 
Of ev'ry saint in Heaven, 

While streams of mercy roll. 

Thou Son of God ! — Redeemer ! 

Who did the lily grace, 
Thy w^ord of pow'r has quickened 

Queen Flora's blooming race; 
Yet they are frail and fleeting, 

Each year they pass away, 
But thy unfading glory 

Shall live when Flow'rs decay. 



THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL. 

The Lord exalted on his throne, 

His universal work surveys ; 
He marks those pilgrims for his own, 

That love to walk in all his ways : 
His eye rejoices to behold 

His children bear his easy yoke; 
To see them by his love unfold 

The bread of life their Savior broke. 



IB'i 



His saints their Master's voice obey, 

They toil and sweat his truth to spread; 
In midnij^ht shades they often pray, 

And tears of grief distil their bed : 
His holy love their hearts constrain. 

And wipes away their falling tears; 
They labor hard the field to gain, 

And rise above their toil and fears. 

Jesus beholds them with delight. 

Confirms to them a golden crown ; 
Nor does one hour tkeir comfort blight, 

But senis his promised blessing down. 
The burning zeal, — the Spirit's powers 

From God's eternal altar fall, 
And fill the saints with gracious showers 

That on the name of Jesus call. 

Dear Lord in haste thy leaven spread, 

Let Gospel seed through earth abound ; 
Let mercy's trumpet wake the dead, 

' Till all the lost by grace are found : 
Then shall the world from death made free 

Feel God's renewing grace within, 
And in his holy temple be 

Exulting o'er the curse of sin. 



THE MOTHER'S TWIN SISTERS. 

When Cynthia's light bedecked the sky, 

Two sisters near each other prest ; 
Their infant hands too weak to vie. 

Were folded on each other's breast : 
From morning's light till evening's tinge, 

In lovely innocence they lie ; 
Their rosy lids, with graceful fringe, 

In beauty gem each sparkling eye 

There's not in India's coral strand. 
Or on this universal ball 



rice's poetry. lf$5 

A lovelier pair in heart and hand, 
On which the eyes of friendship fall. 

My God, thou hast a fountain moved, 
Which must in waves eternal roll ; 

For thy creative power has proved 
Each sister has a deathless soul. 

These pleasing and mysterious things, 

These seeming angels sent from Heaven. 
These sisters with immortal wings 

To me, God, thy love has given ! 
Their feeble pulse first caught its stroke. 

Their blood its sanguine hue from me ; 
These little ones I did invoke 

Must live when time shall cease to be. 

A silent awe inspires my breast. 

My heart is full of hope and fear; 
My soul on awful themes is prest, 

Death and eternity appear ! 
Despair and hope in tumuk rise ; — 

Oh God ! I raise my prayer to thee ! 
" Give to my babes that Paradise, 

Which makes the dying spirit free." 



"LORD REMEMBER ME." 

My Lord ! to thee my grief is known ; 

Tempted Thou wert on earth like me ; 
Expel my woes, for thou alone 

Didst bear my sins on Calvary ! 
Remember that expiring cry ! 

Those tears of grief, and bloody sweat, 
When on the mountain Thou didst die, 

And with thy blood the garden wet. 
Ah ! why didst thou such wrath endure ? 

Why bear the cursings of the tree ? — 
By death alone Thou couldst procure 

That grace which sets my spirit free. 



166 rice's poetrv. 

Lord ! thou art touched with human woe! 

Thy mercy moves the heart of man ; 
Drieo ap the ruuurner's teais that flow, 

And saves him by salvation's plan. 

My waiting spirit long has known, 

That Thou art faithful, just and true; — 
Angels and saints thy judgments own, 

And in thy perfect path pursue : 
The bruised reed Thou wilt not break, 

Nor quench the spark of grace begun, 
Till Thou the heart of sin shalt shake. 

And teach it hell's deep gulf to shun 

I know the day of feeble things 

Thy gracious eye will not despise; 
For thy rich Gospel's balmy wings 

Has brought salvation from the skies. 
On thy sustaining arm I rest. 

And feel thy spirit's power within ; 
By thy subduing grace possessed, 

I rise above the curse of sin. 



THE LABORER'S LAMENTATION. 

Bound in this house for moulding clay, 

No hill or dale the sight to cheer. 
My heart desires to be away, 

And for the distant woodland steer; 
Where warbling brooks by day and night 

In all their gushing beauty sing. 
And blooming flowers on zephyr's flight 

To me their fragrant odors bring. 
There nature has no square or line. 

But all things show the stamp of God, 
From poplar to the lofty pine, 

And ev'ry plant that decks the sod : 
The glorious orb of liy:ht above 

Imparts his rays to kiss the flower. 



rice's rOETRY. 167 

And darts upon our world with love, 
Which hails the glory of his power. 

The passing breeze that greets me now 

Is scented by some fragrant field, 
And cheering fans my weary brow, 

Which braves my spirit not to yield : 
Those brilliant lamps that grace the sky 

With midnight glory gaze on me ; 
And uiove my stricken heart to sigh 

For scenes long passed in infancy. 

At eve, when sweat and toil have wrought 

From penury a short reprieve, 
My weary heart by God is taught 

For my condition not to grieve ; 
And yet 'tis hard for man to feel 

His life in want to pass away, 
While thousands live in all the weal 

That earthly treasures can convey. 

But s.)on these scenes of life shall end, 

And all my labors be forgot ; 
My soul angelic raptures blend 

And share salvation's better lot ; 
Shall mingle with those gems of light 

Where tears and sorrows will be o'er, 
And bask with angels in their flight 

When earth's vain glory is no more. 



MAN'S LIFE PASSETH AWAY. 

As I was musing on the strand. 
With finger shooting from my hand, 
I wrote upon the ocean's sand 

My name, year, month and day. 
Ere long the well-known spot I passed, 
A piercing look I fondly cast ; 
The crested wave was rolling fast 

And washed my lines away. 



16S rice's poetry. 

Such is the type of ev'r}' man ; 
His days on earth are but a span ; 
He 's stricken with a mortal ban, 

By waves of time must die. 
Where'er he treads the sandy shore, 
He soon will see his track no more ; 
His works — the year — the name he bore, 

Will soon forgotten lie. 

But still I see a mighty hand, 

"Which holds the waters — counts the sand. 

By which my weary soul may stand 

When time shall be no more. 
Though this clay building shall be rent, 
And scenes of time be quickly spent ; 
Through faith in God I am content 

To stand on Zion's shore. 



TO THE DRUNKARD'S MEMORY. 

John Foster at the dawn of day 

Was at the grog-shop door. 
With bloated face and sunken eyes, 

And tattered clothes he wore. 
His starving boy was by his side, 

And crying to him said, 
" Come, father, my dear mother 's sick, 

And Mary cries for bread." 

With trembling limbs he staggered in 

Before the bar once more. 
And with the poison vender pled 

As he had done before. 
The landlord hears his sad request. 

And gives to him the bowl ; 
He drinks — while wife and children weep, 

To damn his ruined soul. 

Five years expired — when I passed b)''^ 
A crowd stood round the door ; — 



rice's poetry. 169 

Short was my stay before I heard 

John Foster was no more. 
I saw his corpse when borne away ; — 

No wife and chihiren there ; 
For they had left their mortal clay, 

And ev'ry earthly care. 

Drunkards ! reflect before you plunge 

The fires of God's decree ; 
For you must loose eternal life 

Except the bowl you flee. 
Reflect for wife and children's sake ; — 

Fly from your murd'rcr, fly; 
Or you like John will wretched live, 

Like him forsaken die. 



THE TEMPERANCE FLAG. 

All o'er our wide spread nation 

The Temp'rance Flag doth rise, 
Whi.'e tears of lamentation 

Fast leave the mourners' eyes; 
This Star in lustre shining 

Shall drive our gloom away, 
Though hell's dark ranks combining 

Fight hard to win the day. 

Vast armies now assemble 

To face their deadly foe, 
They make old Bacchus tremble 

While they their darts do throw , 
Soon the cold-water Banner 

Shall float from shore to shore, 
And in a loathsome manner 

The Drunkard reel no more. 

What if the Lord of glory 

Shed mercy all around, 
And nations tell the story 

That they by him are crowned ; 



15 



170 rice's poetry. 

In vain with lavish kindness 
Do all these blessings flow, 

While Drunkard.- in their blindness 
To shame and ruin go. 

Shall we whose souls are lighted 

By virtue from on high, 
Wi'hhold from those now blighted 

That boon which they deny ? 
No ! our tongues inspired, unceasing 

Exemption sfiall proclaim, 
'Till ev'rv heart that 's beating 

Shall flee ihe Drunkard's shame. 

Waft on ye gentle breezes. 

And swift ye waters roll, 
Until this Star that pleases 

Sliail shine from pole to pole ; 
' Till Drunkards' chains shall sunder. 

Their liberty regain. 
And ev'ry nation wonder 

To see the Temp'rance reign. 



REGENERATION. 

Fearless I trod the downv/ard road. 

And spurned the Go pel's joyful day; 
Unconscious of my pond'rous load, 

When on the bii ik of hell I lay: 
But now I think of life, and death. 

The judgment, and the gaping grave ; 
And feel if I should yield my breatli, 

I have no grace my soul to save. 

I gaze upon the stream of time, 
Those hours of mirth forever fled; 

And must confess no skill in rhyire, 
Can ted the tears that I have shed • 

I see the book of record kept. 
My God's eternal truth revealed ; 



rice's poetry. 171 

For which my dying Savior wept, 

When he with blood my pardon sealed. 

My heart in grief, oppressed with sin. 

Seeks refuge in the bloody cross ; 
And strives through grace a crown to win 

Which frees the soul from all its dross: 
My fainting heart falls at his feet. 

Who has the bloody winepress trod, 
To gain in Him a life complete. 

Which rescues from his Father's rod. 

I see the piercing crown he wore ; 

I feel the guilt that made him smart : 
From all his wounds his blood did pour 

To bring salvation to my heart : 
I see that look of holy love. 

When on the shameful cross he died, 
To bear my soul to worlds above. 

Where I shall meet the sanctified. 

I see Him on the cursed tree, 

There weh'ring in his purple gore ; 
' Twas then he spilt his blood for me; 

Which blood shall stain the cross no more. 
In Joseph's grave I see Him sleep ; 

Three days he felt the tyrant's chain ; 
Entombed where Mar}' came to weep ; — 

But lo ! the Savior lives again. 

I see Him in his rapid car. 

Ascending his eternal throne ; 
And calling nations from afar, 

To put their trust in Him alone. 
I see before his Father spread, 

His bleeding feet, hi< hands and side; 
His resurrection from the dead. 

His truth extending far and wide. 

My God in mercy hears my cry. 
And bears my load of sin away , 



|72 rice's poetry. 

Through Him who on the cross did die, 
I feel the glorious light of day: 

I'm bound to gain the Holy Land, 
Though I the ills of life endure ; 

By faitli upon the Rock I stand, 
And know my anchor cast secure. 

I claim my Jesus for my all, 

And find a full release from sin ; 
His grace restores me from the fall. 

And makes my heart rejoice within: 
And when I shall this dust lay down, 

My soul shall take its upward flight; 
And wear a never-fading crown. 

With all the shinins" sons of iisfht. 



DEATH. 

Where'er I am, where'er I go, 

The works of death I see ; 
He makes his final overthrow, 

Not one his power can flee. 
Mankind by sin in Adam die, 

The curse falls on his race ; 
The shafts of Death triumphant fly, 

And kill in ev'ry place. 

The king from his exalted throne. 

Sinks down in shades of night ; 
The sons of men lament and groan,- 

By death are put to flight. 
No arm so strong as to withstand, 

This mighty tyrant's power; 
Unnumbered millions o'er the land,. 

Must die in life's short hour. 

Diseases spread in ev'ry form, 
Their victims chain by death; 

And leave surviving friends forlorn 
Yet to resicrn their breath. 



rice's poetry. 17} 

The low and tall, and flowers all 

Are soon to pass awa}' ; 
There ne'er was built so strong a wall, 

But death would have his prey. 

Though beauty grace the comely face, 

As roses white and fair ; 
A dying fall will spoil the grace, 

For Death shall triumph there. 
The earth and planets by old age, 

Shall crazy grow and die; 
The great philosopher and sage, 

And all the birds that fly. 

PRAYER FOR RESTORING GRACii. 

Lord, let my walk be close with thee, 

Calm and serene my frame ; 
That I may from all sin be (ree 

Through ihy reviving name. 
Where is the bliss I oiire enjoyed, 

When first my Lord I knew ? 
Where is the grace that sin destroyed, 

When I to Jesus flew ? 
Those hours of peace I then received, 

Their memory still is sweet ; 
But now I find my soul has grieved 

The spirit from its seat. 
Return to me, thou heavenly Dove, 

Sweet Messenger return ; 
I hate the sin that quenched thy love, 

Which made my spirit burn. 
The greatest idol I revere, 

Whatever it may be, 
O let me turn away, and steer 

My course direct to Thee : 
Then I shall walk by God's command 

Through life's besetting way; 
Receive those blessings from his hand 

That '••rown with endless day. 



•LS 



174 rice's poetry. 

RESURRECTION AND JUDGMENT. 

Day of Judgment, day of wonders! 

What alarming scenes appear^ 
Now the trumpet's mighty thunders ■ 

Speak the Resurrection near: ■ 

At the sound the dead are rising 

From the shrines in which they sleep , 
Bursting forth a scene surprising 

Breaks the fountains of the deep. 

Earth's strong pillars bow and tremble ., 

At the voice of God that flew ; | 

Saints arise, their Lord re::;emble, ^ 

Who has found the vici'ry through. 
All mankind since Adam sleeping, 

At the trump shall now revive; 
Sinners rise in sorrows weeping, 

And in vain for Heaven strive. 

Now the Atheists see the fiction. 

Which they once proclaimed to man ; 
But have lost God's benediction. 

Sanctioned by the Go^^pel plan. 
Boast no longer grisly tyrant, 

Now thy chains have burst away ; 
And the dead are raised in triumph, 

Saints are hailed to endless day. 



CHRIST'S INVITATION TO SINNERS. 

Hail ! Thou worthy Master Jesus, 

Hail, Thou matchless King of kings ; 
By thy blood Thou did'st redeem us, 

Thou did'st free salvation bring; 
In the courts where angels glory. 

Thou did'.st lay aside thy crown ; 
Come to earth to tell the siory, 

"I for man redemption found." 



rice's poetry. 175 

*' Sinners, come to me m welcome, 

Come the Gospel feast partake, 
Turn to me by deep repentance. 

All your wickedness forsake ; 
Shun the way of sin and folly, 

By the purple tide be free, 
Look to me and be ye holy, 

And my glory you shall see. 

" For your sins I trod the winepress, 

Bore the wraih to sinners due. 
Drop one tear before you trespass 

On those rights so dear to you; 
For your souls 1 in the garden 

Agonized in sweat and blood, 
That in me ye might find pardon. 

And with angels live with God. 

" Sinners turn while I am calling, 

Now there 's mercy kept in store ; 
Wheels of time are fast revolving. 

Soon your life will be no more ; 
Bliss of angels calls you sinners, 

Can you spurn the gift of Heaven ? 
Choose ihe prize, by faith you '11 win her 

Through the blood }'Our Savior 's given." 



MOURNING PILGRIMS. 

Mourning Pilgrims weep no longer; 

Christ to you has comfort spoken, 
Your weak spirits shall be stronger; — 
*' Bruised reeds he ne'er has broken:" 
Ye who wander through this vale 
Where the shafts of death assail; 
^e who are by sin distressed 
Seek the Savior and be blest. 

Lambs of Josus cease to slumber; 
Lo the crimsoned banner 's flying: 



176 rice's poetry. 

If you are the chosen number, 

Let your hearts no more be sighing ; 
Greater love no man has known 
Than on Calv'ry has been shown ; 
Jesns' dying groans and pain 
Make you meet with him lo reign. 

Mourning Pilgrims weep no longer; 

Mercy's boon is ever shining, 
It can make the spirit stronger ; 
Why then always be repining: 

Jesus drives your gloom away, 
Fills you with celestial day: — 
Falling tears and broken sighs 
Is his chosen sacrifice. 

Soon these mountain waves of sorrow 

Will be from the weeper driven, 
And all fears of ills to-morrow 
Shall be lost for joys of Heaven ! 

There no sighs the heart shall rend, 
There no pain and sin shall blend ; 
There the saint from death made free 
Shall his Savior's glory see. 



I 



SAINTS AROUND THE THRONE. 

Who are these arrayed in white. 

Brighter than the morning sun ? 
Blazing round the Throne of light, 

Crying " Lord thy will be done ?'* 
These are they that faced the foe, 

For the truth of Jesus bled; 
Bore the cross that they might go 

Where the Martyr's spirit fled. 

These from tribulation came. 

Washed their robes in Jesus' blood ; 

For the crown endured the shame 

When they braved deep Jordan's flood. 



rice's poetry. 177 

Now they fall before the Throne, 
Serve their Maker night and day; 

Worship Him who did atone, 
And for them did often pray. 

They were once a sufT'ring band 

When they dwelt in mortal clay; 
Now they wing the spirit land 

Where all tears are wiped away. 
They shall thirst and faint no more, 

No excessive rays shall shine; 
Bread of life is kept in store ; 

Take it Christian, it is thine. 

Jesus sits upon his Throne, 

And surveys his chosen flock ; 
Saying-, " Worship me alone ; 

You are built upon this Rock : 
Pluck the fruit of Life's fair tree, 

Drink the streams that never dry; 
Ever in my presence be. 

Ever with my angels fly." 



THE MAGNETIC TELEGRAPH 

Angels of God, now lend your aid. 

While we describe the pow'rs of art, 
This modern star, which we have made, 

In haste our notice to impart : 
In speed its flight excels the blaze. 

That rends in twain the vaulted skies; 
And makes us all with pleasure gaze. 

To see from man such wonders rise. 
We hail this all important gem, 

This Telegraph from shore to shore; 
Which crowns us with a diadem. 

Till wheels of time shall roll no more. 
The flight of thought can scarce excel 

This messenger in all his speed ; — 



178 rice's poetry. 

In distant lands our foes may dwell, 
And in a trice our acts can read. 

Should dying man draw near the tomb, 

And wish his far off friends to tell, 
With light'ning speed they hear his doom, 

And find the place where he does dwell. 
If notice of vast moment rise, 

And should in haste be borne along; 
In the same instant, will surprise 

America's inventive throng. 

If in such speed on earth shall fly 

The wishes of each longing heart, 
Sooner shall pray'r ascend on high. 

And God his saving grace impart ! 
As quick as thought the angels sung, 

" Glory to God," at Jesus' birth ! 
Then Heav'n's new Telegraph was strung, 

Which brought siJvation down to earth. 

The golden wires of grace divine. 

Sealed by the blood of Calvary, 
Can make the lost with angels shine, 

And God's eternal glory see. 
Lo, when the last loud trump shall sound, 

And Telegraph earth's common grave; 
Then shall the saints in God be found, 

And feel his mighty pow'r to save. 

The soul and body joined in one. 

Shall on the chord of faith ascend; 
And know the wi.l of God is done 

Through Jesus, their eternal Friend! 
The Telegraph confirmed by grace. 

Shall run through all the courts above ; 
Shall bear the stamp of Jesus' face, 

And tell the wonders of his love. 



179 



"WHAT IS MAN?" 
Man is a strange mysterious thing ! 

The workmanship of curious art : 
Composed of muscle, nerve and spring, 

And blood, fast gushing through his heart. 
In him is ample proof of God ; 

No other hand could n\ould his frame : 
Jehovah's all creating nod, 

Through man declares his holy name. 

First he was fashioned out of clay ; 

His sinless heart was moved by love : 
From God partook the purest ray. 

With passions harmless as the dove. 
Behold he was I but is he now 

M:de free from sorrow, grief and pain? 
Alas ! I read upon his brow 

That seal, by which we all are slain. 

For sin we 're bound to mourn and weep, 

While passing through this thorny vale, 
Till death shall stamp with dreamless sleep 

Our barques, — so often made to quail. 
In man was formed a living soul. 

Which shall survive earth's final grave: — 
If saved by grace, it shall control 

Those demons, where lost spirits rave. 

Ah ! must this soul sink in despair. 

And spurn the brightest gem of Heaven ? 
Must it with fallen demons share, 

And lose the Holy Spirit's leaven ? 
Though bound by hell's eternal chain, 

I see by blood Man's spirit rise ! 
Made sure of Heav'n's triumphant reign, 

She through God's holy mansion flies. 

Man's soul is like an angel's wing, 
It rushes on from star to star ! 



180 rice's poetry. 

Thence soars to courts where cherubs sing, 

And ever rides in Zion's car! 
Her knowledge shall through Jesus grow ; 

From saint she shall an angel be I 
Those streams that through all Heaven flow, 

Make her approach the Deity. 



THE SPIRIT'S ASCENSION. 

Give thanks unto Jesus on high, 

A brother has entered his rest; 
Has gone up wih angels to vie, 

And lean on Immanuel's breast. 
His spirit in rapture has fled, 

To swell the high anthems above , 
Has gone to the Savior that bled, 

And dwells in the arms of his love. 

What fullness of gbry divine 

He feels through the life giving blood * 
What riches ineffable shine. 

Made free by the mercy of God ? 
Arrayed in the garments of light, 

And decked with the pinions of grace, 
He wings in the speed of hi.^ flight 

With all the bright angelic race. 

The Savior there sits on his throne, 

And spreads his effulgence around. 
He who for our sins did atone, 

The legions of Heaven surround. 
Then why should our spirits bewail, 

And longer in solitude weep, 
When grace is so free to prevail, 

And mercy forbidden to sleep. 

No sorrows our brother inspire 

In his mortal prison of clay ; 
His soul breathes the angelic fire, 

And basks in the glories of day. 



1 



rice's poetry. 181 

Dear Savior if thou art our shield 
While passing the regions of time ; 

O help us thy mercy to wield, 
And soar to the angelic clime. 

And when we from time shall remove, 

And wind up our sorrows and pain ; 
Thy unsullied glory we '11 prove, 

And in thy blest Zion remain : 
We '11 join vviih the spirits of light, 

And view the new city of gold, 
Where beauty shall dazzle our sight 

With riches no pen can unfold. 



RETROSPECTION. 

When my reflection takes its flight 

To view the past and gone. 
The fiin'ral pall disturbs my sight, 

My spirit weeps forlorn. 
Our parents first in Eden free, 

No vengeance on them fell, 
' Till they partook the fatal tree, 

And sought the dregs of hell. 

The indignation of our God 

Expelled the fallen twain ; 
They felt the justice of his rod, 

For they by sin were slain. 
The curse pursues the fallen race 

Down to the present day ; 
Man's sinful acts his life disgrace, 

And lead his soul astray. 

He feels the ills of dying strife. 

His day is but a span ; 
He soon must lose his mortal life, 

*' So frail a thing is man." 
In ancient days God did appear 

By his destructive flood 



16 



182 rice's poetry. 

And swept away all but the Seer, 
And those that with him stood. 

The infidel and s -ofTers all 

Whi^'h did in Sodom dwell, 
God's vengeance called on them to fall 

In brimstone charged by hell. 
Proud Nineveh, that city great, 

Enclo ed by walls of might, 
Repented and prolon ed her fate; — 

iSow sinks in shades of night. 

Jerusalem that holy place 

Where priests and prophets died ; 
Though once for God, became a race 

Thai Jesus crucified. 
Go.i's judgment on that city fell, 

Their overthrow was sure ; — 
The carnage made no pen can tell. 

No weeping eye endure. 

The Romans with the sword and spear 

Cau:5ed blood their streets to flow ; 
The dying shriek — the falling tear 

Increased the scene of woe. 
Of Jews about one million bled, — 

The slaughter was severe ; 
Their streets were crimsoned with the dead. 

While thousands shook with fear. 

Since Christ his presence made on earth, 

And hostile Jews were slain, 
War and sedition found their birth 

The truth of God to stain. 
The church of Rome in sin arrayed 

Imbued her hands in blood ; 
From Gospel precepts long has strayed. 

And spread sins raging flood. 



Millions have by her hands been slain, 
Ail harmless as the dove ; 



I 



i 



rice's poetry, 183 

Have felt the rack and bore the chain, 

Yet saved by Jesus' love. 
She's showed herself the monster sin, 

In deepest treason dyed ; 
And proved she had no grace within 

By Jesus crucified. 



THE JUDGMENT DAY. 

The glorious Judge in heaven appears, 

In all the grandeur of a God ; 
Our days, our weeks, our months and years, 

Are numbered as before the flood ! 
Behold he comes ! the sun is veiled ! 

The silver moon is turned to blood ! 
The Son of God has man assailed, — 

He feels the scourges of his rod. 

The trumpet sounds ! the world 's on fire ! 

And mo'jntains melt before his face ! 
All nature feels his flaming ire, 

And mourns because she 's run her race ! 
The wheels of time must now stand still, 

Their revolutions are no more ; 
They must obey their Maker's will, 

And in death's silence, him adore. 

Ye saints rejoice ! lift up your heads ! 

Your Savior comes in clouds of heaven; 
Arise from your long sleeping beds. 

Let honor to his name be given ! 
Smners awake ! the day has come ! 

The long predicted Judgment Day! 
When saints of God are gathered home, 

And sinners driven far away. 

Down, down you '11 sink in endless night, 
To dwell in groans and deep despair ! 

And never more behold the liu:ht, 
And never find a Savior there ' 



184 rice's poetry. 

The boon of Heaven ye once refused, 
When Jesus wooed you to his arms ; — 

He will no longer be abused ; — 

Too long you 've spurned his gracious charms. 

The demon's wail, and spirit's groan 

Forever strike your deathless ear ! 
Your souls must in their dungeon mourn. 

Where men and devils quake with fear ! 
Night's dreary curtain veils 5^our grave, 

Hell's deepest gloom assembles there ! 
No blood of Jesus will you save ! 

No angels news of mercy bear. 

But God's dear children soar on high, 

And walk the golden streets above ; 
No more to weep, to mourn and die, 

But ever feel a Savior's love : 
" Glory," they sing through Jesus' name, 

" To God,"thesource of all their joy; 
From mountain tops they loud proclaim, 

" His name our praises shall employ." 



JESUS WEPT OVER JERUSALEM. 

Jesus from angels' courts above, 

Came down to visit man ; 
His heart was full of tender love, 

In streams of mercy ran : 
In friendship he came to his own, 

But they received him not ; 
They cursed Him who did sin atone. 

And all his love forgot. 

Behold, He o'er the city weeps ! 

His tears the Jews would save! 
His tender heart salvation keeps, 

To rescue from the grave. 
" City of God ! Jerusalem ! 

I would have made you free ; 



rice's poetry. 185 

Would give to you that healing gem, 
Which makes the blind to see. 

"But when I called, ye turned away I 

Left me to shed my tears ; 
Shut from your eyes that only ray, 

Which drives away all fears : 
Your day of grace shall be no more ; 

You griev'd the Father's Son; 
Salvation now with you is o'er ; 

Your race is almost run. 

" Romans shall your vast city burn, 

Your fun'ral dirge shall sing ! 
Your foes shall live your names to spurn. 

And sorrows to you bring: 
Before this generation pass, 

The sword your blood shall spill ! 
I offered mercy, but alas ! 

You hate Mount Zion still." 



THE SAINT'S VICTORY. 

Rejoice, for a spirit has fled, 

And left this clay prison behind: 
No longer to weep for the dead ; 

No longer in sorro^vs confined. 
By faith let us follow her flight 

To mansions of glory above, 
And view her with angels of light, 

Rejoice in the Eden of love. 

We hail thee on Zion's bright shore. 

Where all the ship's company meet ! 
Thy sighing and pain are no more; 

They fell as the dust of thy feet. 
No portion of sickness or fear 

Shall ever disturb thee again, 
Like us who are striving to steer 

Through regions of sorrow and pain. 

•16 



185 rice's poetry. 

Thou 'st left thy companion behind, 

To linger in death's gloomy bleep, 
*Till God the lost angel shall bind, 

And soothe the sad mourners that weep. 
And when the last trumpet shall sound. 

And shake the deep shrines of the dead. 
Then shall thy lost body be found, 

And join with the spirit that 's fled. 
When thy sleeping dust shall arise 

To meet thee around the white throne, 
And see the vast host of the skies, 

Where Jesus is worshiped alone ! 
Then shall thy full glory begin 

By treasures in Heaven made free; 
No more shalt thou weep for thy sin, 

No longer in misery be. 
The soul and the body in one, 

Made free from all pain and despair; 
Shall bask in the light of the Son, 

In all his full glory to share: 
As long as the Savior shall reign. 

Will through God's Jerusalem fly ; 
'And with the bright angels obtain 

That fountain which never shall dry. 

"GOD IS LOVE." 

Farewell vain world ! thou hast no joys 

Worthy to claim my fond embrace ; 
Thy riches are but fleeting toys 
Compared with God's enduring grace; 
Then let me drink of Love's rich tide, 
And find a cleft in Jesus' side. 

What if my feeble mind complain. 
And dread so long with sin to vie ; 

I '11 rise above my mortal pain. 

And on Love's shining pinions fly; 

And when my flesh and heart shall fail, 

[ shall in Christ my Lord prevail. 



rice's poetry. 187 

Come Thou immortal Spirit near, 
And save my soul from self despair; 

Appear, in my poor heart appear, 
And listen to my urgent prayer ; 

Speak, " Peace be still," celestial Dove, 

And let me know thy name is Love. 

All hail this Love ! sweet Jesus hail ! 

Thy whispers cheer my drooping heart; 
Thy light breaks in, Thou dost prevail, 

Thou dost to me thy Love impart ; 
Thou hast descended from above, 
And proved to me thy name is Love. 

My God, be near when I shall pass 
The waves of Jordan's rolling tide; . 

Bear me above the sea of glass, 
On golden pinions let me ride, 

Until 1 meet my Lord on high, 

Where streams of Love shall never dry. 

And when I find that happy place, 
Where raptured visions fire the soul ; 

Then I shall sing of thy free grace, 
And on the waves of glory roil ; 

Shall honor Him who reigns on high, 

Where saints and angels never die. 

There grace shall flow in living streams, 
Fast gushing from the throne of God; 

Like quiv'ring silver's richest beams, 
Shall quench the law's destructive rod ; 

Eternity shall swell with Love, 

By all the sacred hosts above. 

There golden gems shall cheer the soul 
Throughout the shining courts of Heaven 

The crystal waves of glory roll, 

From Love's rich fountain shall be given ; 

The weary saint be free from pain. 

And with his Lord in glory reign. 



fS8 rice's poetry. 

THE CRUCIFIED. 

Jerusalem ! Jerusalem ! 
Why gushes forth that crimsoned stream ? 
The Jewish priest, the Gentile band, 
The Romans from their foreign land ; 
And thousands more with envious will, 
Behold the scene of Calvary's hill. 

Yet onward moves the savage tide, 
The beggar, bridegroom, and the bride, 
Prince, soldier, and the Pharisee ; 
The youth and sire, the bond and free ; 
The wicked, raging, hellish clan, 
Cry " Crucify the Son of Man." 

But woe to thee, Jerusalem ! 
Thy foes triumphant soon shall come, 
Shall slay the bridegroom and the bride, 
And on the car of death shall ride ! 
And woe to thee ambition's shrine; 
The sword shall slay both thee and thine. 

The multitude still loudly cry. 
With raging voices rend the sky; — 
Urged by the assassin's cruel rod, 
In tneekness moves the Son of God; 
A cross upon his shoulders borne: 
His back with bloody scourges torn. 

Behold the man ! the cry of shame 
Is raging at the Savior's name ; — ^ 

With garments rent, and gnashing teeth, 
The sneer, the spite, the thorny wreath, 
All the expiring hour can bring, 
Surround thee now, immortal King. 

The word of death in haste is given; 
The Victim bound, the spikes are driven; — 
Now rail the Scribe and PHnrivee, 
The Gentile bends his mocking knee; 



189 



The cross is reared the work is done, 
The battle fought, the vict'ry won. 

While in his agonizing gloom 
His piercing eye foretells no doom ; 
No earthquake breaks — no thunders roll 
To smite with death the guilty soul! 
Those lips in dying anguish riven, 
Cry " Let my murd'rers be forgiven." 

Awake, my soul I behold Him die ! 
He groans between the earth and sky ; 
Enters the grave, and bursts her chains, 
And in triumphant glory reigns ; 
Destroys the monster's dying strife. 
And brings to man eternal life. 

He dies ! creation's awful King, 
That man may his redemption sing; 
He dies ! to thunder from the skies, 
And bid unnumbered millions rise ; — 
His footstool, earth — his throne is Heaven 
All honor to his name be given. 

THE PROMONTORY OF LIFE, 

While on a verging point of land, 
I view the regions as I stand. 

Where saints and sinners dwell ! 
This mortal life, a moment's space, 
Prepares me for yon heavenly place, 

Or binds me fast in hell. 

O, God of love convert my soul. 
And all my inward powers control, 

To run the Christian race. 
Help me to feel the solemn weight 
Of things divine before too late. 

By thy subduing grace. 

Before my soul in dread array. 
Impress the scenes of thai great day. 



t^ rice's rOETRV. 

When Christ m)' Lord shall come, 
Descending in his rapid car, 
To judge all nations at his bar, 

And call his servants home. 

O let it be my business here 
To serve my God with holy fear, 

And to the end endure. 
Lord thy reviving grace impart, 
And bind to thee my wand'ring heart, 

And make the prize secure. 



THE LAST SUPPER. 

Darksome and dreary was the night, 
On which the little flock assembled, 

And watched with fear the morning light, 
And for the coming morrow trembled; 

The day in which their Lord should see 

Expiring on the cursed tree. 

The Master there with lifted eye 

Took up the sacred bread and brake it ; 

He raised the cup and gave a sigh, 

Then bade hi.s weeping brethren take it; 

" As often as this cup you see. 

With grateful heans remember me." 

Lord did'st thou say, *' Remember me ?" 
Yes — here is love the sun outshining ! 

Sooner the stars shall cease to be, 
And all the elements combining, 

Than my fond heart forget to swell 

The gloiics of Immanuel. 

Shall we thy houseless nights forget, 
The dew-drops on thy temples lying? 

The scoff — the spear — the crimsoned sweat. 
The long dread agony of dying ? 

This love of God, boundless and free, 

Gives life to all eternity. 



rice's poetry. 191 

And is our Savior's table decked, 

With dainties of his own preparing? 

And shall our souls such bliss reject, 
As holy anirels now are sharing ? 

We come, — Jesus, — hear our prayer. 

And bless our weeping spirits there. 



SALVATION BY THE CROSS 

Mercv divine ! what hast thou done! 

Jesus my Savior died for me ! 
The father's co-eternal Son, 

For sin expired upon the tree ! 
The King of kings for all has died, 
Jesus our Lord was crucified. 

You that pass by, behold the man ! 

The bleeding Jous, Prince of peace' 
Mortals adore your Maker's plan, 

That he your spirits may release; 
Come feel his sacred blood applied, 
Jesus our Lord was crucified. 

Was crucified for all our race. 

That he might bring us back to God; 
Believe in Him, and his free grace 

Will save us from his scourging rod ; 
A fountain gushes from his side, 
Jesus our Lord was crucified. 

Then let us learn to view the Cross, 
And live by its all cleansing stream; 

All things for Jesus count but loss, 
And in his glorious presence beam ; 

And nothing worship here beside 

Jesus our Lord the Crucified. 

And when these buildings made of dust 

Shall to their prior dust return ; 
Our souls committed to God's trust, 



RICE S POETRY. 



Shall in his holy presence burn ; 
Shall on the sea of glory ride 
By virtue of the Crucified. 



APPEAL FOR MISSIONS. 

Servants of God, possessed of shining gold, 
Go and contribute for your brother's need ; 

Shall love within 3^our thrilling breasts grow cold, 
Where Gospel faith has sown its holy seed ? 

How can you to the Gentile world refuse 

To spread that light which you in wisdom choose ? 

Servants of God, endowed with heavenly bread, 
Shall mortals languish m your blissful path ? 

0, let yo ir hearts with rich compas=;ion spread 
That gift which saves from God's eternal wrath ; 

The heath'.^n world remain in shades of night, 
Lend, lend your aid before they take their flight. 

Ye have the bread and cup the Lord did bless j 
While in the presence of his chosen train; 1 

Ye have the word of God, with high bequest, ^ 
"Go teach all nations," spread its heavenly strain. 

Throughout the world let the rich Gospel be 

Disseminated, till mankind are free. 

Do you, indeed, on life's tempestuous shore, 
Bear the meek spirit of the Son of God ? 

Vet lend no aid, no supplication pour. 
To save mankind from the Almighty's rod ? 

God of the Pilgrims ! warm the frozen heart, 

And let thy children needful gifts impart. 

Behold the heathen sinking in the grave. 
Amid the darkness of a foreign land ; 

O'er the vast depths of ocean's dismal wave, 
Your brethren call ; how can you idly stand ! 

Rich price of blood ! Servants of God, arise ! 

Shake ofl^your dust, and labor for the skies. 



i 



rice's poetry. 193 

Lo ! the poor Gentiles wait God's word to hear, 
And Missionaries wish iiis truth to tell ; 

The funds are not — the ship delays to steer 
Across the ocean, Gospel news to swell. 

Faith comes by hearing — hearing by the word ; 

How then have faith on Him they have not heo^d ? 



DESTRUCTION BY TIME. 

Moved by a Monarch's awful power, 
That hastens on each fleeting hour, 

I touch the mournful string ; 
' Tis now I see his wrinkled face. 
Under the mansion's crumbling base, 

Where moss and ivy cling. 

Night roll'd his darksome eye around, 
His grisly face with horror frowned ; 

No lustre him arrayed ; 
He seized, and lo ! a hero's bust, 
Returned unto its native dust. 

Sunk deep beneath the shade. 

Disease triumphant clothed his eyes, 
To helpless mortals, lo, he cries, 

*' How vain are all your schemes ? 
Under my chains the brightest form 
Sinks and dissolves beneath the storm- 
How vain are mortal dreams ?" 

*' The works of nature's God I spoil; 
The lofty arts of human toil, 

I blast as infant toys ; 
I trample down the mighty brave, 
Beauty I blight — low in the grave 

I bury earthly joys." 

Stop, thou Destroyer, stop ! I cried, 
Nor longer crush the dreams of pride, 
And man's vain hopes devour ; 



17 



194 



Virtue shall live in endless bloom, 

Beyond the darkness of the tomb, 

And scorn thy ruthless power. 

In frantic rage the Demon fled, 
Roaring, as down the wall he sped, 

" The year is past and gone ;" M 

The falling spire, the mould 'ring tower, ^ 
Trembling fell before his power. 

While Time in haste flew on. 

Since youth and fame to Time must bow, 
And death destroy the fairest brow. 

Let endless light be yours ; % 

Man's deathless soul embahn'd in truth, 
Shall live in all the bloom of youth. 

As long as God endures. 



THE MILLENNIUM. 

When shall death prevail no more ? 

When shall pain and sin be o'er ? 
Adam's race no longer groan, 
Friends no more be call'd to mourn ? 

Sorrow cease from ev'ry mind, 

Ransom'd love the spirit find ? 

When shall future jo3's appear, 

Christ erect his glory here ? 

Satan's kingdom tumble down, 
Mercy's voice be spread around ? 

Altars rais'd in ev'ry heart. 

Sweet perfumes to God impart ? 

Oft shall dying groans assail ! 
Oft shall relatives bewail ! 

Dearest friends be sunder'd wide, 

Sorrow sail upon the tide. 
Ere the works of death decay, 
Ere the great Millennial day. 



rice's poetry. 195 

Years of sorrow speed along, 

Hasten on the blissful song, 
Let the tide of beauty roll. 
Cheer the heart — awake the soul — 

Then the glorious sound shall fly 

Through the world, and reach the sky. 



JORDAN'S COLD STREAM. 

Cold Jordan's stream with rapid tide, 
This world, and future worlds divide, 

Where spirits dwell! 
Its chilly waters drear and deep. 
With frantic fury's awful sweep 

In madness swell. 

I saw the smiling infant stand 

Where Jordan's waves beat on the strand, 

To sweep it down! 
Thoughtless of death it neared the flood. 
Which froze the current of its blood, 

To wear a crown. 

I looked, and lo, with languid eye, 
A youth was called to weep and sigh; 

The grave was near ! 
He gazed upon the frightful stream, 
The waves rolled high — he gave a scream, 

And sunk with fear ! 

Again, a form of giant strength 
Heedless rushed on, 'till found at length 

To feel his chain ! 
Hopeless he raised his dying prayer, 
Then closed his eyes in wild despair 

By Jordan's reign. 

Next, stood upon the dismal shore 
A father, bowed with many a score 
Of g®ne-by years.' 



196 rice's poetry. 

Earth-bound, he sadly left the brink 
Of time, in Jordan's waves to sink, 
Laden with fears. 

How bitter must Death's waters taste I 
How hard a thing for man to waste 

Away and die ! 
To leave his wealth and glory here, 
Be forced o'er Jordan's waves to steeFj 

Where spirit's sigh ! 

I gazed upon the stream again, 
I saw the friend of God was slain 5 

Yet lives above ! 
Death is the end of all his toil ! 
By it he gains a heavenly soil 

Through Jesus' love. 

Strong pinions bore his spirit up. 
While flesh partook the bitter cup. 

And wailed in Death. 
With anchor cast within the vail, 
He spread his banner to the gale, 

And gave his breath. 

No more he '11 stand upon the shore. 
And feel the waves of Death roll o'er 

Him to destroy ! 
His ransomed soul shall dwell on high 
And through God's holy mansions fly, 

Inspired with joy. 



THE SCENES OF CALVARY. 

Awake my soul to that dread day, 
And strike thy harp in mournful lay, 

To view Mount Calvary. 
A Man of grief, a Man of prayer. 
Was forced by Jews his cross to bear, 

And die upon the tree. 



rice's poetry. 197 

Behold the scene ! the mid-day light 
By miracle was put to flight; — 

Gloom did enshroud the earth ! 
The Temple's veil was rent in twain 
When the meek Son of God was slain 

To give salvation birth. 

For three long hours the Savior hung; — 
The harps of gold became unstrung; 

And angels stood affright ! 
The hosts above could sympathize 
With Him who left the upper skies ; 

But man his God could fight ! 

Methinks I hear the Victim cry, 
When hung between the earth and sky, 

" 'Tis done ! the crown is given." 
He bowed his head — gave up the Ghost ! 
Then quickly moved the upper host 

To spread the news through Heaven. 

Angels now strike their harps of gold, 
And God's free gift to man unfold 

Throughout the courts of ligh.* I 
Nor can they keep this boon on high ; 
But down with speedy pinions fly. 

That man may view the sight. 

Lo ! the Redeemer sleeps in death ! 

On Calv'ry's mount resigned his breath; 

Yet he a God remains. 
Behold, he rises from the tomb ! 
He stamps upon the grave her doom. 

And bursts the tyrant's chains. 



CONVULSIONS OF NATURE. 

Lo ! in deep portentous gloom, 

Clouds of wrath the heavens spread, 
Dark as if man's final doom 



17 



198 rice's poetry 

Broke upon his guilty head : 
Now the dreadful lightnings fly ! 
God in wrath is drawing nigh ! 

Hark ! I hear his chariot wheels 
Rumbling down the vaulted skies ; 

Nature, troubled nature reels, 

And puts forth her plaintive cries : 

Earth and ocean quake with fear ! 

Tremble ! for your God is near ! 

God of wrath enthroned above, 

While thy thunder bolts are hurled 

Save us ! for thy name is Love, 
Save a lost and ruined world ! 

Let thy burning ire be stayed 

By the bow of promise made. 

The storm is hushed, — silence reigns, 
Ocean billows cease to rise ; 

Winds no longer sweep the plains, 
Lightnings cease to rend the skies ! 

King of nature drops his rod ! 

Mercy is the will of God. 



JJCSUS' LOVE STRONGER THAN DEATH. 

Ye sons of God behold your King 
While in Gethsemane he prayed, 

' Twas there he shed his blood to bring 
Salvation from the gaping grave ; 

His deep-toned wail, his piercing cries, 

Invoked an angel from the skies. 

*Twas midnight when He felt the load, 

Which would have crushed a world to hell ; 

At that dark hour his mercy flowed, 
That you might with his angels dwell : 

Remember all his groans and tears. 

And rise above your guilty fears. 



199 



Draw near and view the Judgment hall, 
Where hostile Jews the Savior led ; 

He drank the wormwood and the gall, 
And by the crown his temples bled : 

He bore the cross up Calvary 

To set the dying spirit free. 

Behold, he lies upon his bed, 

While spikes are driven through his feet ! 
He dies to save the wicked dead. 

And bless them at the Judgment seat: 
The mid-day sun his light withdrew 
When God the Savior bled for you. 

Come hasten to the marble tomb. 

And view the place where Jesus lay ; 

Learn by his death your mortal doom, 
And ever live to watch and pray : 

He rose triumphant o'er the grave, 

And reigns above, the soul to save. 

Lo, the Redeemer prays for man, 
At God's right hand I hear him cry, 

" save from Satan's cruel ban 

The lost, for which thy Son did die '.'* 

For Adam's fallen, ruined race 

He pleads before his Father's face. 



NOAH'S DOVE. 

Behold the floating ark, 
Ploughing the waters dark, 

The earth around ; 
There was no mountain seen, 
No tree, nor evergreen ; — 

All flesh was drowned. 

Then o'er the billows dread 
A Dove's soft wings were spread, 
The land to view ; 



200 rice's poetry. 

But on that shoreless tide, 
No tow'ring mount she spied, 
When swift she flew. 

She to the ark returned, 
And by it Noah learned 

The waters raged ; 
He took her in to rest, 
AH weary and distressed, — 

Her grief assuaged. 

So man the ark has left, 
And of his peace bereft, — 

Exposed to hell ! 
Yet he may now return, 
And by salvation learn 

'With God to dwell. 



CHRIST'S RESURRECTION. 

God our Redeemer rose, 

In triumph left the dead, 
High o'er his mortal foes 

Raised his exulting head : 
In wild disma}'- the guard were shook 

And to the earth like dead men felL 

Angelic bands appear. 

Around his grave they meet ; 
In haste to Him draw near, 

And worship at his feet ; 
They come with joy from worlds on high, 

And wing their way to Jesus' tomb. 

Then home to Heaven they fly. 

The glorious news to bear ! 
As they ascend the sky. 

Sweet anthems fill the air ! 
** Jesus who bled," they loudly sing, 

** In spite of death, this day arose." 



EICE S POETRY. 201 

Let man, redeemed from hell, 

Proclaim the joyful sound ! 
To ev'ry nation tell. 

Salvation may be found ! 
In mercy cry, " The Lord, though dead, 

Has burst the tomb, no more to die." 

AH hail, triumphant King-, 

Who died our souls to save ! 
Let all creation sing. 

Thy vic'try o'er the grave ! 
Thou risen God, with thee we '11 rise ! 

And empires gain beyond the tomb. 



THE ORGANIZATION OF WORLDS. 

E're God the universe begun, 

In one rude chaos matter lay, 
And wild disorder overrun, 

Nor knew of light one glim'ring ray; 
While darkness spread throughout the whole, 
Confusion reigned without control. 

Then God arose, his thunder hurled, 

And bade the elements arise ; 
In air he hung the pendant world, 

And o'er it spread the azure skies ; 
Orbs in their circles caused to run, 
And in the centre fixed the Sun. 

Then man he called forth out of dust, 
And formed him with a living soul ; 

All things committed to his trust, 
And made him ruler of the whole; 

He proved ungrateful unto Heaven,— 

A rebel was from Eden driven. 

From thence proceeded all our woes, 
Nor could mankind expel their fear 
Until Christ'aniiy arose, 



202 rice's poetry. 

And formed another Eden here. 
' Tis only on religious ground 
Pleasure with innocence is found. 

' Tis here the purest fountain flows ; 

Here nought corrupt can enter in; 
' Tis here the tree of Knowledge grows, 

Whose fruit we taste, exempt from sin. 
In sacred friendship we abound, 
While God's dear Spirit hovers round. 



" IT IS WELL."— 2 Kings iv, 26. 

" Is it well with the child ?" And she answered 
'"Tis well;" 

As I looked on the weeper that cried ; 
And the fast falling tear, as it run from its cell, 

Proved she loved her fond son who had died. 

I beheld, and the child's living features had fled: 
For death had inspired him with gloom ; 

And the wearisome watchers had j ust left the dead, * 
And made ready to meet round his tomb. | 

•' Is it well with the child ?" And she answered, 
'"Tis well;" 

Yet she thought of his beauty and grace. 
When his juvenile bosom with laughter did swell, 

In his mother's consoling embrace. 

Through his darkly tinged eyebrows, when waking 
from sleep. 
His bright lamps in their sockets did roll ; 
Which constrained the sad mourner in silence to 
weep. 
And display the strong grief of her soul. 

" Is it well with the child ?" And she answered, 
" ' Tis well ;" 
For his sorrows and pain are all o'er :— 



rice's poetry. 203 

Of the sigh, and the groan, and deep pang he might 
tell; 
But they never shall trouble him more. 

In the visions of night, he appears by my side, 

In the oarment of angels above ; 
And I hear his glad song, as he wings far and wide, 

In the cherubic mansions of love. 

" Is it well with the child ?" And she answered, 
'"Tiswell;" 

For with saints he shall pluck of life's tree ; 
By the boon of salvation with God he shall dwell 

And with him be eternally free. 

Now his heart-thrilling bosom no longer shall beat, 
With the throbs of affliction and pain ; 

Nor shall he, in his glory such foes ever meet. 
As he met when on earth he was slain. 



SPIRITUAL WORSHIP. 

How beautiful Lord, must thy Temple have been 

At the time of its first consecration, 
While the cherubim's wings wide spreading within, 

Gave grace to the ark's holy station. 

When the priests of Levi thy chosen well skilled 

To minister before the blest altar. 
Had withdrawn from the cloud the Temple had 
filled, 

Lo Israel adored with the psalter. 

Sublime was thy glory and majesty then, 

Yet the favor the Gospel discloses, 
More clearly extends thy salvation to men, 

And exceeds the ritual of Moses. 

But by whom were these rites of Heaven repealed, 
Save by Jesus from whom they were given ; — 

Free pardon for sin by his death he revealed. 
And the bars of the grave he has riven. 



204 



RICE S POETRY. 



His truth and redemption now show us the way 

To ascend on wings of his glory; 
Not like the vain shadows of that early day, 

But by the free grace of his story. 

This is the true worship the Savior made known 
When at Jacob's deep well he was talking; — 

The truth of his kingdom in lustre was shown, 
To the maid with her water-pot walking. 

All things become new, and old things pass away 
In the Gospel's complete dispensation ; 

And darkness recedes by the splendor of day 
Through the spirit of God's dedication. 

Then let us arise over sin and despair, 
And pursue the bright Star ever shining; 

And of the vain systems of error beware, 
Lest we fall by their darkness combining. 

Our Redeemer on high, with grace ever nigh, 
Has prepared the bright way by his favor, 

And songsters below soon with angels shall vie. 
To extol the adorable Savior. 

Then let us take courage and press on the way, 
Till our sorrows and pain shall be ended ; 

And our souls mount up to the regions of day, 
And our anthems with seraphs be blended. 



THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM. 

Behold the bright morn when Jesus the Savior, 
From realms of glory in mercy came down ; 

Go sinners and worship your Lord in a manger. 
Angels from heaven his birth-place do crown. 

The morning dew-drops his cradle are gilding. 
He takes his abode where oxen have trod ; 

Seraphs adore him, Christ's kingdom is building 
This is our Monarch, our Savior and God. 



rice's poetry. 205 

With songs of angels the skies are resounding, 
They sing the blest anthem, " Good will to all 
men I" 

The shepherds astonished, yet faith is abounding, 
They follow the Star where angels have been. 

While gazing, they see their Lord in a manger, 
Where wise men offer their incense divine ; 

They fall and adore this heavenly stranger. 
Who news of salvation brought to mankind. 

Ye friends of this Savior, spread his appearing. 
This is the bright Star from eternity shone ; 

His name to sinners shall ever be cheering, 
While as Mediator he sits on his throne. 

"Brightest and best of the sons of the morning, 
Shine on our darkness and lend us thine aid ; 

Star in the East the horizon adorning. 

Guide where our infant Redeemer was laid." 



COME TO THE AVATERS. 

Rejoice ye prisoners, in that life immortal. 

Which flows spontaneous from the Word of God ! 

See Zion's wall expands her golden portal. 
To save the sinner from the direful rod ! 

Come to the Waters ! ye whose hearts are gushing 
With youthful action, uninspired with pain ; 

Whose tide of life in sanguine streams is rushing 
Like springs of water through the youthful vein. 

Ho all ye thirsty ! come to Zion's river. 

Where life is stamped with God's unerring truth ! 

Turn from earth's follies, hail the bounteous Giver, 
And drink the fountain of eternal youth ! 

Come to the AVaters ! ye whose heads are hoary, 
Sages and sires, whose lives will soon be o'er, 

Rise from your slumber, seek your ransomed glory, 
Drink of the river and you '11 thirst no more. 



18 



206 rice's poetry. 

Children of sorrow ! drest in sable mourning, 

Whose hearts are beating with their aching throes 

Come when the bahn of life dispels your groaning,^ 
Cheers up your spirits and expels your woes. 

Come to the Waters ! hail the crystal fountain 
Which gushes from the living throne of God ! 

All cheering stream ! it flows from Zion's mountain 
Surpassing that which followed Moses' rod. 

Come to the Waters ! ye whose lives are dreary, 
Whose earthly charms are passing fast away ; 

Cast off your burden ! never more be weary. 
Forsake your sins and shout eternal day ! 

Come all the world and drink the living Waters 
Slaves of the South, and Indians of the West, 

Monarchs and beggars, parents, sons and daughter;! 
Bathe in the fountain which secures your rest. 

This ample spring can never be exhausted ; 

Millions have drank, and yet may millions more 
Come precious souls this day you are accosted, 

Search for this treasure while it 's kept in store«! 



THE FAVOR OF GOD. 

God's Favor I see, when to Jesus I flee, 

And lay up my treasures on high ; 
No chains can control, the rich joys of my soul, 

When I on love's pinions do fly. 

Sweet comfort is mine, when God's mercy divine 
I find through the Lamb that was slain ; 

My heart it believes, and free pardon receives, 
Which frees it from sin's killing stain. 

' Tis an Eden below, my Savior to know, 

And seraphs can do nothing more, 
Than bow at his feet, and his mercy repeat, 

And the Friend of sinners adore. 



rice's poetry. 207 

Now all the day long, free salvation 's my song, 

From regions of darkness and pain; 
Jesus loves me I know, I will with him go, 

To mansions in glory to reign. 

On pinions of love, I will soar far above 

This world of destruction and sin. 
And light on the shore, where diseases no more 

Shall burden my spirit within. 

With songsters above, now enchanted with love, 

I have faith in glory to meet, 
A.nd with the bright band, who on Zion do stand, 

My Lord and Redeemer will greet. 

There springs ever flow, and rich waters bestow, 

To cheer the bright angels on high ! 
While saints shall mount higher, in chariots of fire, 

And glory with cherubs to vie. 

Dear Lord while I stay, in this building of clay, 

help me to watch unto prayer ; 
And when I must die, let me soar up on high, 

That I thy redemption may share. 



'' I AM WITH YOV.''— Mat, xxviii, 20. 
All hail ye blest pilgrims enlisted for glory. 

Who publish salvation to regions afar ; 
Who preach to the heathen the Gospel's rich story. 

Which leads them to Jesus, the bright morning star. 

Your calling is worthy, and high your commission, 
To spread the glad tidings of life all around; 

To tell the poor Gentile his hopeless condition. 
And point him where treasures of glory abouna. 

God speed the dear pilgrims to tell the sad stranger. 
Who falls down to worship his gods made of stone, 

That the blood of King Jesus can save him from 
danger, 
That he bled on the cross his sins to atone. 



208 

The song of redemption shall cheer ev^ry nation, 
And the flag of free grace shall float on the breeze ; 

Until God's disciples shall fill ev'ry station, 
From rivers to oceans and isles of the seas. 

Cheer up wandering pilgrims, though often forsaken, 
The God of the prophets your Savior shall be ; 

The land of the heathen by grace must be taken, 
And her sons and daughters in Jesus be free. 

Then shouts to the Savior in rapture resounding, 
Shall fill every heart and fire ev'ry tongue ; 

While robes of salvation through faith are abounding 
Made free by that God who on Calvary hung 



FREE GRACE. 

See the stream of Free Grace that flows from the 

fountain, 
Which invites Adam's race to climb Zion's mountain ; ; 
For sin and pollution and ev'ry transgression, 
The blood of the Savior makes free intercession. 

This fountain is perfect and ample to pardon. 

And buoy up the soul through the waters of Jordan ; 

Though the guilt of the heart shall wave like the 

ocean. 
The blood of atonement can still the commotion. 

Sweet Jesus ride on in the car of Salvation, 
' Till shouts of thanksgiving shall swell ev'ry nation, 
' Till the world shall unite with holy intention 
To honor the Savior who purchased Redemption. 

When we pass the cold waters and gain the bright! 
shore. 

With sweet anthems of glory well '11 praise ever- 
more ; 

We '11 sail the blest river, and soar to its fountain, 

With pinions of angels we '11 scale Zion's mountain 



rice's poetky. 209 

There, free from temptation, we '11 range the blesC 

regions, 
And join in sweet anthems with cherubic legions ; 
We '11 bask in the sunshine of God's golden treasure, 
And worship King Jesus with undying pleasure. 

Ye redeemed of the Lord ! come drink of the waters. 
And press on to glory with Zion's fair daughters; 
Rich mercy 's now flowing through the Lamb that 

was slain ; 
Leave your crimes of pollution, your Eden regain. 



THE VICTOR FROM EDOM. 

What Victor is this from the fields of the slain, 
Arrayed with his garments of deep-crimsoned hue ? 

What Victor is this who has sufl^ered such pain. 
That souls of lost men might God's favor renew ? 

" It is I," saith the Lord, " I burst the strong hold 
With my sword of wrath and the strength of my 
hand; 
*Tis I who was often by prophets foretold, 

That destroyed the tyrant and broke his strong 
band." 

And why, O thou Victor ! why crimsoned in blood ? 
Why scarred with those wounds the lost sinner 
should pain ? 
Ah, why thus besmeared, with the heart's gushing 
flood, 
As if just returning from fields of the slain ? 

*' The winepress of Edom I 've trodden alone. 
Her banners are scattered, her armies are fled, 

Yet further will I, who their vengeance have borne, 
Pursue them by judgment to fields of the dead. 

* There was not a helper in Isr'el to save, 
No arm that could rescue the Lamb to be slain ; 



18 



210 rice's poetry. 

I looked ; but alas ! I must enter the grave, 
And in the dark mansion of Joseph remain. 

" But short was my stay in the tomb of the dead , 
Its bands burst asunder, in triumph I rose ; 

Go tell my disciples the Savior has fled, 

That an angel from Heaven his grave did unclose. 

" Go tell them he rose from the night of the slave, 
And broke the strong fetters of death and despair ; 

Go tell them rich news of redemption to save, 
For they by his triumph salvation shall share." 



( 



REJOICING OF ANGELS. 

0, why are the anthems of cherubs resounding, 
With sounds of sweet music through regions of 
love? 

And the song of the ransomed in union abounding, 
Responsive with harps of the Angels above ? 

And why do they listen from summits of gladness, 
Where all are rejoicing in raptures divine ? 

And what can they see in this region of sadness, 
That shall to them laurels of glory entwine ? m 

Behold in yon dark dreary cell — where reclining 
On earth, low and hopeless, the prisoner is bound ; 

No beam through his dungeon of hope ever shining. 
No accents of mercy with light do resound. 

By man his God leaving, through devil's enchanting. 
His soul sinks in darkness and feels the dire rod ; 

But the rich Mediator with glories advancing. 
Bids him trust in his Savior, his Maker and God. 

See down his pale cheeks the tears are fast stealing, 
And his prayer from lips trembling soars up on 

See sighs from his bosom his sorrows revealing. 
Call grace from the Fountain that never shall dry. 



RICE S POETRY. 211 

Let US marvel no more at seraphs rejoicing, 

When saints to King Jesus their raptures do raise ; 
True faith and repentance man's sins are destroying, 
Which makes joy for Angels and Christians to 
praise. 
Then raise your blest anthems, ye bright stars of 
Heaven, 
And on your Creator eternally gaze ! 
So may God's salvation to sinners be given. 

Which ransoms the soul from the night of the 
grave. 



THE RUINS OF CANAAN. 

Where is the land with God's rich mercy flowing, 
Where gifts of gladness roll on fancy's theme ? 

Over her fields spontaneous weeds are growing, 
Where fire and blood have mingled in one stream. 

These are dire scenes to past'ral eyes beholding, 
God's vengeance rushes over Canaan's plain ; 

His arm of might his horrid wrath unfolding, 
And heaps on heaps are by his anger slain. 

Where is the bliss of honest hearts repenting, 
The sweet repose and sunshine of the soul ? 

The host above are to our joys consenting, 
And by repentance healing waters roll. 

Christians, awake ; the land shall soon be taken, 
God calls you to his saving fold again ; 

Though you by sin have justly been forsaken. 
Return and crowns of endless life obtain. 

Melt down our hearts thou Son of joy and gladness, 
And bring us back to Canaan's happy home : 

Disperse the gloom that fills our hearts with sadness, 
And buoy us up in hope of joys to come. 

And when the war note shall by death be ended. 
When foes by sin God's children fight no more ; 

May Calvary's gift and angels' songs be blended, 
To swell those hearts where life is kept in store. 



212 rice's poetry. 

THE ROD. 

I looked on the bride in her glory and pride, 

Adorned in her shining array ; 
And the life-giving tide which glowed on her face, 

Was blooming, inviting, and gay. 

With honest devotion she gave her fond heart. 

To the fancy of treach'rous lov^ ; 
And bound all her hopes to the glory of earth, 

With affections kind as the dove. 

Soon I looked and her heart was wounded and faint, 
And her bonds were sundered in twain; 

She had sold her fancy for garments of woe, 
And her beauty for treach'rous gain. 

But I saw her Savior pour balm in her heart, 

And wiping the fast falling tear, 
He fastened the bonds which were broken apart. 

By his love which casts away fear. 

The mourner awoke from her sadness and woe, 

Lamented the path she had trod ; 
And hailed the sweet voice that whispered from 
Heaven, 

" I love thee ! pass under the rod." 

I saw the fond mother in beauty arrayed 

Bend over her innocent boy ; 
And she hailed the sweet voice which uttered her 
name, 

As the babe lay smiling with joy. 

As sweet as the rose-bud all shining with dew, 

With its fragrance floating in air ; 
So fresh and effulgent her son did appear 

As he slept in innocence there. 

Soon I saw her again beholding her boy, 

When veiled in the ruins of death ! 
By the ruthless angel his glories had fled 

For in haste he gave up his breath. 



rice's poetry. 213 

But the Savior was nigh who wounded her heart, 

And swept the fair idol away j 
To entice her above he bore it on high, — 

And she rose her Lord to obey. 

While tears were fast falling she gave a deep sigh ! 

Then asked the forgiveness of God ; 
And hailed the sweet voice that whispered from 
Heaven, 

"I love thee ! pass under the rod.'* 

I beheld, and the parents fondly reclined 

On the arms of their duteous son; 
And the prospect of bliss grew strong in their sight. 

When they saw the treasures he 'd won. 

And when the last evening of life was at hand, 
Their pathway was bright to behold ; 

And the sweet star of love did over them shine, 
And glittered like spangles of gold. 

But ere long I saw them bend over the tomb, 

And their tears of sorrow did roll ; 
For their son had just died, and entered the grave, 

By the fate of nature's control. 

But the Savior in gladness bound up their hearts. 

And poured in the oil and the wine ; 
And bade them the fountain of waters partake, 

And ever in glory to shine. 

They found earthly treasures were fleeting and vam. 

And nothing could live but in God ; 
And they hailed the voice that whispered from Hea- 
ven, 

" I love thee ! pass under the rod." 



214 rice's poetry. 

THE ROCK IN MID OCEAN. 

In the deep blue ocean, remote and alone 

Is a Rock, which sunders the waters in twain , 

Its towering bastions with fragments are strown — 
Its strong hold by nature is long to remain. 

Let frightful tornadoes rush on when they may, 
And the ocean's deep waves fast roll round its 
feet ; 

Let its crags ever drip with fast-falling spray, 
It shall brave ev'ry foe, and hold its strong seat. 

What though the huge breakers and whirlwinds maj 
sweep, 

That hermit of ages shall conquer them all : 
The sailor shall see it still braving the deep, 

And view from its surface the waters to fall. 

Long worn, but yet firm is that desolate Rock, 
It keeps its strong station where islands are born; 

In triumph looks down on the ocean's deep shock. 
And salutes its vain foes with laughter and scorn. 

Come thou, that reverest the Master on high. 
Stand fast on the Rock of salvation above : 

When thy passions rush on, and dangers are nigh, 1 
Believe, and recline on the arms of his love. " 

When skeptics would have thee thy Savior disdain, 

And scorn that redemption, — the sinner to save j 
When they rail on his saints with infidel stain. 

Stand fast on the Rock, — the tempest to brave. 
Be firm like the bastion, nor wish to depart 

From precepts of Heaven, their cares, or their 
cost; 
Rich treasure eternal God made to impart ; 

But by man's rejection the gift shall be lost. 
With the wiles of the devil, — his wrath, or his mirth, 

Strive hard as the martys of Jesus have striven ; 
And all thy temptations and sorrows on earth, 

Shall be paid in the full fruition of Heaven. ■ 



RICE S POETRY. 215 



THE LOAFER'S LAMENTATION. 

Come hear the sad wails of a poor drunken Loafer, 
Whose long-bearded face calls loud to be shorn ; 

For rum, lo he cries, ere his spree is quite over. 
While his money 's all gone and his clothes badly 
torn. 

His course he pursues to the rum-seller's station, 
Where he in profusion his rations did draw ; 

He calls to the landlord with strong invitation, 
" O, give me a smaller to moisten my craw." 

But the rum-seller's signal is, " Loafer be gone ; 

My house I keep civil and you can't be here ;" 
He takes his departure with spirits forlorn. 

Without understanding which way he shall steer. 

*' O, whiskey ! by thee I am s-adly forsaken, 
I dream of thy glory, yet thou dost not come ; 

Alas, my sad feelings ! — with tremens I 'm shaken, 
While the skin of my throat is dry as a drum. 

" My spree of rejoicing is quickly passed over. 
And I 'm left to wander in shame and despair ; 

The dog has a shelter his body to cover, 

But I have no friends, food, or clothing to wear." 

O, sad is the fate of thi':5 heart-broken stranger; 

No money to purchase the god of his soul ; 
He walks to and fro like a lost frantic ranger, 

' Till forced to the mad-house his fate to condole. 

Insane by delirium in madness he rages, 

He trembles and shrieks on the verge of despair ; 

Disease reigns triumphant, until its last stages 
Break down his clay prison his fate to declare. 

Such are the dire scenes of this poor fallen creature, 
Wh.o but few months ago left the Emerald Isle : 

No relatives near to behold his sad feature. 
And sigh his farewell with the loss of a smile. 



216 rice's poetry. 

He 's gone where the waves of destruction are rolling, 
Where fires of damnation can never expire ; 

Where his sighs and deep groans are ever unfolding 
The justice of God, and the curse of his ire. 

Thou Spirit of love ! stay the tide of destruction, 
Which like a tornado sweeps over the world ; 

By thy reformation make that introduction. 

Which expands thy glory, free grace has unfurled. 



PETITION FOR PEACE. 

How long shall we glory in war with the stranger ? 

How long shall our brethren in battle be slain ? 
Ah ! why shall we press on our forces to danger, 

When the life-blood of thousands is lavished like 



I 



How long shall we glory when tears are fast falling 
From widows and orphans the slaughter has made? 

Why rush on to danger with prospects appalling ? 
Though our warriors have been with triumph ar- 
rayed. 

Ah ! why should the war-cry for glory be longer ? 

And nations rejoice in rebellion and strife ? 
The weak may expire by the sword of the stronger , 

Yet what can avail such destruction of life ? 

My brethren awake to the Gospel trump sounding ; 

When our Savior was smitten he smote not again; 
Let that spirit of Peace in us be abounding ; 

And our souls shall live through the deep sanguine 
stain. 

Ah ! how can the warrior who claims martial glory, 
Aspire for those treasures in mansions above ? 

And how can he ever repeat the glad story, 

" My heart is made free by the Gospel of love ?" 



rice's poetry. 217 

What avails this vain glory, when souls have de- 
parted, 
And taken their lodgings where demons bewail ? 
What good with lost angels to feel broken-hearted, 
Where the voice of salvation no more shall pre- 
vail ? 

Then let the strong banner of Peace be extended, 
And fan every soul by the breezes of Heaven ; 

Let justice and merc}'^ in union be blended, 
And the sound for battle no more shall be oriven. 



RELIGION. 

Hail, holy Spirit ! Messenger of love. 
Inspire my heart, and calm my troubl'd soul ; 

Rivers of mercy from thy fount above, 
Over my spirit healing waters roll. 

Thy dwelling place is in the humble heart, 
Which beats responsive to thy holy will, 

Though poverty beset with venomed dart. 
And make that heart with deepest sorrows thrill. 

Though every nerve vibrate with keenest grief. 
Though borne beneath oppression's pond'rous thrall, 

Thy fulgent smile would give some kind relief. 
And o'er the spirit calming lustre fall. 

Vhen thorns of sorrow hedge my gloomy path, 
Thy hand of mercy shall destroy their sting ; 

Vhen dismal clouds spread o'er my sky with wrath, 
Over these clouds hope's rainbow thou shalt fling : 

Vhen the fast beating pulse of life is dead, 
And hostile foes, the wealthy and the poor, 

lie low in death, each in his narrow bed. 
Where love and envy shall be known no more ; 

'hen like some guardian angel drawing n)gh 
The place in which my mould'ring dust shall sleep 



19 



21S rice's poetry. 

Till God's last trumpet rend the azure sky, 
Th}'^ careful eye my sleeping dust shall keep. 

And when the angel's awful trump shall sound 
Through earth's vast region, " Time shall be n 
more :" 

When fire through all the elements abound. 
And the long dreamless sleep of death is o'er : 

Then wilt thou bear me to some heavenly sphere^ , 
Where deathless pleasures reign without alloy, , 

Where sweetest songs enchant the ravish'd ear, 
And life is one eternal scene of joy. 



THE SEPULCHRE. 

Mine eye beholds the dead. 
O'er battle field, the landscape and the plain, 
In waters deep, and shores where heroes bled, 

Are countless numbers slain. 



i 



Within the peopled street, 
The prisoner's gloomy cell and mansions high ; 
In fancy's domes, where pomp and folly meet, 

Men agonize and die. 

The poor and rich must fall ; 
Must bow beneath death's sceptre — and the brave- 
The bondman and the free — the low and tall, 

Sink in one common grave. 

The moonlight gilds the walls 
Of monarch's tombs inwrought with finest brass ; 
And the lone shadow of the willow falls 

Across the waving grass. 

The sons of gone-by time. 
Who did vast cities rear, and ships at sea, 
For ages stood in grandeur most sublime, 

But they no longer be. 

The orator and sage, 
The graceful poet and warrior brave, were there; 



I 

t 



rice's poetry. 219 

And maniacs in all their frantic rage, 
And maidens white and fair. 

But their glory 's passed away ; 
Sun rose and set, earth flourished in her bloom ; 
While man was thoughtless, and in folly gay 

Sunk to his final tomb. 

" The dead are every where ;'* 
Where 'er compassion dwells — envy or faith , 
Or wealth and power appear in richest air; 

There reigns the victor, Death. 



THE BLISS OF HEAVEN. 

No death is there ; 
No mortal sickness wastes the frame away, 
No fearful shrinking from contagious air, 
No fear of scalding heat by summer's ray. 

No groans and sighs, 
No wild and frightful visions of the night. 

No living mortal mourns, and bleeds, and dies ; 
No eyes in tears, for glory heaves in sight. 

Care 's past away ; 
Within that realm of endless praise and song, 

Its surges break and leave a joyful day. 
Where saints redeemed have joined the spirit throng. 

The storm's dark wing 
Shall never blacken th' efl^ulgent skies ; 

Its chilly winds and thunders shall not fling 
Their shroud around the spirit as she flies. 

There is no night ; 
No frosty wind shall pierce the tender frame ; 

No sun or moon is there ; for God is light — 
Bids darkness flee by the Messiah's name. 

No friends shall part. 
And by some keen reflection have to weep ; 



220 rice's poetry. 

No bed of death shall make the spirit smart, 
In vieAV of a swift-coming, pulseless sleep. 

No dying flower, 
Or fading leaves, those heavenly gardens know; 
No with'ring blast or fierce destroying shower, 
Spreads devastation like a ruthless foe. 

No martial word 
Awakes the heavenly hosts with dread or fear ; 

The joyful song of Bliss is ever heard, 
And love's rich jewel God and angels rear. 

Let us go home, 
If such bright glory fill the weary soul ; 

Thou stricken saint, look up ! God bids thee come, 
And weep no more by sorrow's stern control 

Faith is our guide ; 
With robes of innocence it leads the way ; 

Why fear we, then, to enter Jordan's tide, 
And find the pleasures of an endless day ? 



ACROSTIC ON JO JIN N. MAFFITT. 

J...ESUS' sweet name thy bosom doth inspire, 
0...'er hill and dale the Gospel truth to spread ; 

H...eaven's rich glory doth thy spirit fire ; 

N...0 hell-bom foe shall waste thy living bread. 

N...ews of salvation fills thy ravished soul ! 

M.-an's blood-bought spirit cheers thy sparkling 
eye ! 
A... view of Calv'ry doth thy heart control ; 

F...or down that fount flow streams that never dryif 

F...riend of thy Savior and of sinners lost, 

I...n God's rich chariot ride on faith's strong wing! 

T...ell to the w^orld what man's redemption cost ; 
T...read down the serpent with his baneful sting. 



4 



'■V 



eice's poetry. 221 

THE JOYS OF HEAVEN. 

Come saints all around, my Lord I have found, 

He 's spread a rich banquet above ; 
Are your hearts like mine, for Jesus to pine, 

Come enter the chariot of love. 

By faith we '11 arise, to crowns in the skies ; 
I By hope we this glory aspire ; 
I By love we have come, and entered our home, 
I With our hearts enraptur'd with fire. 

Behold the saints sing, how they make Heaven rmg 

In friendship they all do combine ; 
iThe choirs all unite, hearts, voices and might, 
' And their song is mercy divine. 

(Hallelujahs they raise, in glory they praise. 
Their Master who sits on his throne ; 

They honor the Lamb, and the great I Am, 
Saying Jesus for sin did atone. 

The Lord on his throne, now dwells with his own, 

Where rivers of pleasure abide ; 
In day without night, saints feast on his might, 

And sail on eternity's tide. 

They '11 dwell with the Dove, and bask in his love, 

In regions of beauty on high ; 
And walk streets of gold, while eternity rolls. 

Where the songs of bliss never die. 



ACROSTIC ON JOHN SUMMERFIELD. 

J...TJST was the theme that bore his soul away 
0...n faith's strong pinions to the climes above; 

H...is lofty spirit caught the heav'nly ray ; 

N...or could the world destroy his flaming love. 

S...hort was his pilgrimage on earth to preach 
U...pon God's truth, which did his bosom fire ; 



♦19 



222 rice's poetry. 

M...ercy's rich boon empowered his lips to teach ; — 
M...an's fallen Eden did his soul inspire. 

E...nraptured glory was his chosen theme ; 

R...efulgent Gospel fanned his weary soul ; 
F...ood from his Savior made his spirit beam 

I...n mid-day splendor at his final goal. 

E...nchanting angels from the courts on high, 

L...ooked down as he set forth a Savior's name ; 
D...ense crowds of hearers who in sin did vie, 

Caught the rich gem which did his bosom flame, 



ON SPRING. 

The Spring has come in all its glory, 
The dreary Winter' s passed away ; 

The birds begin their warbling story, 
And joyful sing their morning lay. 

The mountain snows disperse in water, 
And icy bridges float the stream ; 

The chilly winds from ev'ry quarter, 
Have all departed like a dream. 

The floating zephyrs' vernal breezes 
Revive new verdure o'er the plain ; 

The sun in all his splendor pleases 
Mankind with light on earth's domain. 

Lo, nature wrapped in death-like slumber, 
In haste returns to life again ; 

The king of day, rays without number. 
Calls for the Spring's enchanting strain. 

The forest trees shoot out their branches, 
The rosy buds burst forth in bloom ; 

The dormant power of nature stanches. 
And herbage rises from the tomb. 

So man shall enter his last slumber. 
As he descends his dreary grave ; 



223 



Yet God shall raise the countless number, 
That sink beneath death's scourging wave. 

In living beauty, bright and shining. 
Immortal man shall wing the skies I 

With Jesus' love and faith combining, 
He shall to golden mansions rise. 

Shall join angelic choirs in glory. 
And bask in one eternal Spring ; 

And ever tell salvation's story. 
And on the harps of angels sing. 



FAITH. 

Faith is a star to cheer and guide 
The pilgrim on his dreary course, 

Its light destroys sin's rapid tide, 

And points the soul to God, its source. 

Faith is a building on the plain. 

Beyond deep Jordan's rolling waves ! 

The Christian views the golden fane, 
And every storm and tempest braves. 

Faith is an anchor to the soul, . 

Which scales Mount Zion's holy hill ! 
The winds may rage, the breakers roll, 

Yet Jesus speaks, and all is still. 

Faith is the boon that leads above, 
The way of life the prophets trod. 

The joyful road of peace and love. 
The free and sovereign grace of God ! 

Faith is the healing balm of life, 
A certain cure for ills and pain ; 

It calms the passions' raging strife, 
And frees the soul from all her stain. 

Faith is a gem from yonder sky, 
A plant of some immortal birth ! 



224 rice's poetry. 

It was not made to bloom and die, 

Like the vain crested flowers of earth. 



{ 



Why then despise this brilliant star, 
This beacon tower, this anchor sure ? 

This foreign plant from mansions far, iM 

This medicine the soul to cure ? ^ 

Ah ! why not all the world receive 
This Faith, and soar above despair ? 

Give up their sins, in Christ believe. 
And learn their Master's yoke to bear ? 

This boon is worth the heart's desire. 
It saves mankind from endless pain. 

Endows them with celestial fire, 

And makes them meet with God to reign. 

Angels above in Faith rejoice, 1 

And all the blissful throng on high ; 

Why then refuse salvation's voice. 

Which caused our Lord to bleed and die ? 



"GOD MANIFEST IN THE FLESH." 

Hail thrice happy day, when veiled in our clay, 

The Savior appeared upon earth ! 
My soul can't refrain, to join in the strain, 

That hailed King Immanuel's birth ! 

Behold this vast love, first issued above, 
To us through the Lamb is made known ! 

Our voices we '11 raise, exulting with praise 
That on earth salvation is strown ! 

Ye angels on high, and cherubs that vie, 

Extol him as King of all kings ! 
We also will join, in praises divine. 

And incense to Jesus will bring ! 

This Priest we '11 adore, and praise evermore ; 
For his arm will lead us to God ! 



225 



His treasure of gold, its wings will unfold, 
And save us from sin's killing rod ! 

We '11 spend all our days to Messiah's praise; 

For he our salvation has won ! 
He dwelt here beloAv, his mercy to show, 

And expired for sinners undone ! 

Now let us return, and view Joseph's urn, 
Where our Lord in triumph did rise ! 

And hail the blest day, when Jesus did say, 
" Seek treasures laid up in the skies !" 

may we prolong, this Heaven born song, 
And chant the sweet anthem below ! 

To kindle that fire, the nations desire, 
W^hich does in God's paradise grow ! 

Dear Savior while we pay homage to thee, 
Let us bless, admire and adore ! 

We honor that love, begotten above, 
Its Author we '11 praise evermore ! 



JESUS, THE STAR OF ETERNITY. 

While musing on the heavenly plain, 
I hear the choir of angels sing ; — 

The Savior is their joyful strain, 
For he this day is born a King. 

" Glory to God," the chorus break ! 

For man appears a diadem ! 
The sinner may this crown partake, 

And hail the Star of Bethlehem. 

When on the frightful deep I rode. 

The light'nings flashed — the night was dark, 
The direful tempest rudely blowed, 

Which threatened to destroy my barque ! 

The chills of death my vitals froze ! 
In haste I ceased the tide to stem ! 



226 rice's poetry. 

' Twas then a brilliant Star arose, 
The new-born Star of Bethlehem. 

This is the source of all my joy; 

It bids my dying spirit live, 
My vile affections shall destroy, 

My past offences will forgive. 

When safely landed on the shore, 
I '11 sing of the immortal gem ! 

Where perils, pain and grief are o'er, 
I '11 praise the Star of Bethlehem. 

My vital spark, made free from clay, 
Shall by this Star inflame with love ; 

And sing the song of endless day. 
With all the sacred hosts above. 

While God's eternal ages roll, 

With saints I'll pluck of Life's fair Tree; 
And slake the longings of my soul. 

Where servants of the Lord are free. 



PARDONING GRACE. 

From sore distress and midnight gloom. 
My God I raise my thoughts to thee ; 

O save me from the spirit's tomb, 
And let me thy salvation see. 

Thou hast confirmed thy throne of grace, 
To wash the sinner's stain away ; — 

Let vile seducers seek thy face, 
Believe in Thee and learn to pray. 

As the lost strangers often wait, 

With mourning hearts for some known guide 
So I will stand before thy gate, 

And in thy saving blood confide. 

My faith is fixed on treasures bor.n 
Above the starry lamps on high.'. 



I 



rice's poetry. 227 

My Savior will not leave forlorn 

My ransomed soul to mourn and die ! 

God's love is great, boundless and free, 
Vast in Redemption through his Son ; 

O Father bind my heart to thee, 
That I may hell's damnation shun. 

Keep me in thy Almighty hand, 
Inspire my soul with mercy's tide ; 

And I shall find the promised land. 
And drink the stream of Jesus' side. 



ACROSTIC ON GEORGE WHITEFIELD. 

G...EORGE Whitefield's name breaks in upon my 
soul ; — 

E...ndearing mem'ry brings it back again; 
0...'er land and sea he spread the flowing bowl, 

R...ich with salvation by the Savior slain. 

G...reat was that zeal which moved his pious breast, 
E...ndowed that heart which plead the Savior's 
love ; 

W...orthy that spirit with rich grace possessed, 
H...appy that soul which took its flight above. 

I...n gushing floods of rapture he did preach 

T...hat living boon which came from God on 
high ; 

E...ndowed from Zion's mountain, he did teach 
F...rail man to seek those gems that never die. 

I. ..mortal spirit ! thou hast took thy flight ! 

E... merged from earth to wing celestial skies! 
L...et fall thy mantle, and reflect that light, 

D...isplayed where God's rich fountain never 
dries. 



228 rice's poetry. 



GOD'S OMNIPRESENCE. 

Great God, in vain my soul would try 
To flee my vast concerns with thee, 

To shun thy presence, or to fly 

Where thou no more shalt notice me. 

Thy all-pervading eye surveys 
My mid-day glory, and my rest, 

My daily walks, and all my ways, 
And ev'ry secret of my breast. 

My thoughts lay open to thy view, 
When first in me they found a place ; 

And ev'ry act that I pursue. 
Meets thy approval or disgrace. 

Infinite Wisdom, vast ajid deep ! 

Where shall a creature from thee hide ? 
Thy circling glories round me keep. 

And bear me up on ev'ry side. 

Should I my vital pulse destroy 
To fiee the wrath of God divine I 

He would his mighty arm employ, 
And make the grave her dust resign. 

Should I on wings of morning light. 
Fly far beyond the western sky; 

Thy piercing eye would take its flight, 
And soon my distant region spy. 

If o'er my wicked heart I draw 

The cheerless shades of midnight gloom, 
I can't evade thy perfect law, 

Nor find a shelter in the tomb. 

The light of day and midnight hour. 
Are both alike my Lor4 to thee ! 

O may I not provoke thy power, 
From which my spirit cannot flee. 



rice's roETRY. 229 

GRIEVE NOT THY MOTHER. 

O grieve her not whose three score years 
Have drove the days of youth away; 

Nor rage at her when ills and fears, 
Press in on life's expiring ray. 

The footsteps of thy mother aid, 

And wreathe thy glory on her brow ; 

Let not her weeping eyes be made 

The fount of grief where sinners bow. 

Her active steps by age have failed. 
Her building totters made of clay; 

For God to man has long entailed 
That curse which calls us all away. 

Let thy strong arm her burdens bear, 
And cheer her when in life's decline, 

And with thy heart's most tender care, 
Impart to her God's truth divine. 

Remember in thy infant years 

Her arms oft raised thee to her breast, 

And drove away thy childish fears, 
And calmed thy troubled heart to rest. 

Think of that voice in accents mild, 
Which strove thy feeble mind to aid ; 

Behold that heart which loved her child. 
And for it prayed in midnight's shade. 

When sickness lingers on her cheek. 
And she draws near the gaping tomb. 

The words of Jesus to her speak, 

And cheer her through deep Jordan's gloom. 

Then shall thy spirit be at rest, 

While passing down life's rapid stream ; 

And God thy Father call thee blest. 
When in his image thou shalt beam. 



20 



230 rice's poetry. 



THE AUTHOR'S ACROSTIC IN PRAYER. 

R...efulgent Light ! in mercy beam, 
0...n me display thy brilliant ray; 

S...et free my soul by power unseen ! 
W...elcome my heart to endless day. 



E...ternal Life ! and all I am ! 

L...et stains of guilt from me depart — 
L...et fall on me sweet Gilead's balm ! 

R...eflect thy love upon my heart. 

L..mmortal Spirit, Holy Dove ! 

C.ome in and fill me with thy fire; 
E...ndow my soul with joys above ! 

That I may after Heaven aspire. 



\ 




I 



THE CURSE OF WAR. 

Hark ! the loud cannon moves the troubl'd air, 
Spreads o'er the world the pall of deep despair, 
Swells a grave dirge by relatives around, 
While hellish fiends repel the gloomy sound. 

Fierce bent on blood the savage monster moves, 
Compels his men to wade the purple flood: — 
For what intent ? to stamp a hero's name, 
Throuirh seas of blood to shout immortal fame. 



mCE^S POETRY. 231 

■ Conflicting scene, what speculation's here ? 
Sweet boons departing, stamped with friendship dear, 
Sporting in glorious shame and motley strife, 
Each warrior moves to his departing life. 

I While the deep shades of hostile passions flow, 
Sudden the death-ball strikes the fatal blow ; 
The soul departs — in mournful gloom retires, 
Rolls in the flame of self-condoling fires. 

Is there civility in War ? If so. 
Withdraw my pen and let the rebel go ; 
I Urge him on to battle where honor 's found, 
I And let his blood for fame distil the ground. 

Is piety in War ? If this be true, 
! Let man no more the way of peace pursue, 
I Let Gospel truth remain a fictions plan, 
I And every being join the hellish clan. 

Let the fair angel boast no more of love, 
The Son of God no more be call'd the Dove; 
Let Eden's bliss no man desire to find, 
Or wish for future glory of the kind. 

My muse awake ! let not thy reason sleep 
In fictious systems sinking in the deep; 
Receive the news thy Savior did proclaim, 
And let the spirit of affection reign. 

Wnere is the man that glories in the field ? 
Where men cause death stamp an eternal seal 1 
Whose mind pervades the ample bliss on high; 
Imbibes the fame of his Redeemer's sigh. 

If drops of blood in some lone recess pour, 
If there a victim welters in his gore, 
The chase prevails until the murd'rer's found — 
Until he hears proclaim'd his deathly sound ! 

But if a sea of blood does stain the ground — 

If plains be flooded through the landscape round ; 



232 rice's poetry. 

No coroner his inquisition holds, 

No solemn voice the fatal deed unfolds. 

The crime's too great for moral laws to rule, 
Therefore the play-boy glories in his school ; 
Fears not the bow that shoots eternal ire; 
Fears not the woes of hell's devouring fire. 

If War is wisdom, may I not pursue 
Its noxious branches, Avhich in gloom bestrew 
The path of life with horror, death and pain ; 
Clothing the world in mourning for the slain. 

If War is just, how can those angels mourn, 
Who fell from Heaven to grasp the fatal groan ? 
Wh}^ not rejoice in their infernal plan ? 
And God approve the savage course of man ? 

Our Savior's mandate is to love the foe ; 
By this all men the Holy Spirit know; — 
The carnal heart a friendly mind approves, 
But gen'ral friendship does the saint behoove. 

Thou Friend of Peace, immortal Light appear; 
Dispel the flood — convey thy Spirit near; 
Break up the deep, and let thy kingdom reign; 
Thy gentle breezes fill the broad domain. 



ACROSTIC ON HENRY B. BASCOM. 

H...AIL brilliant Star! bedecked with God's own 
hand ! 

E...nchanting rapture lights thee with a flame ! 
N...ews of salvation from celestial land, 

R...evives thy spirit through King Jesus' name. 

Y...ears of thy life are swiftly passing by, 

B...orne on the wings of time's destroying flight ! 

B...ut that bright crown for which thy soul doth vie, 
A...ssumes the regions of eternal light ! 



233 

S...urrounding mercy bids thy spirit rise, 

C.onfirms the prize of which pure angels boast ! 

0..., live for glory ! and the upper skies 
M...ust swell thy anthem with the heavenly host. 



"HONOR THY FATHER." 

Adore thy Father whose gray hairs 

Sparse o'er his wasting temples spread ; 

Adore him when old age impairs 

That grace which once adorned his head. 

What though his falt'ring mind shall feel 
The burden of its mortal clay? 

What though old age its cares reveal, 

And break the shrine where treasures lay. 

His feeble steps in mercy aid. 
Bedeck his brow with filial love ; 

Let his inactive ear be made 

To hear thy voice sweet as the dove. 

Still, stay his hand, and bear his load ; 

Heal all his wounds with soothing balm ; 
Sustain him in his downward road, 

And all his sorrows strive to calm. 

Revere him, for his powerless arms 
Have often clasped thee to his breast, 

When infant woes and dread alarms 
Thy weak and tirnid heart distressed. 

Remember thou that well-known voice, 
Which strove thy youthful mind to aid i 

Give honor to thy Father's choice, 
Because for thee he often prayed. 

Let kindness bear him to his goal, 

Lest when he sleeps in death's embrace, 

The treason of thy guilty soul 

Shall vex thee with extreme disgrace. 



^20 



234 rice's poetry. 

For if this filial debt of love 

Does in thy heart no place retain ; 

Then shall thy Judge and Sire above, 
Declare thou shalt not with him reign. 



MINISTRATION OF ANGELS. 

On Zion's hill of brilliant light 
The Lord of glory makes his seat ; 

And clouds of Angels in their flight 
Expand their crowns before his feet. 

" Go," saith our God, " my Angels go, 
And hail the worthy Virgin's Son; 

In haste ye seraphs wing below, 
And loud proclaim salvation won." 

Angelic armies leave the skies. 
In lustre round Elisha stand ; 

In rapid flight a cherub flies, 

And breaks the grisly tyrant's band. 

Thy swift winged servants, O my God ! 

Thy mourning church on earth attend ; 
And when she feels affliction's rod, 

They do their utmost succor lend. 

These are thy soldiers, gracious Lord I 
At thy command they quickly fly, 

Thy word obey with one accord. 

And bear thy church to worlds on high. 



THE BACKSLIDER'S RETURN. 

O thou insulted Dove draw near, 

Though I have done thee much despite ; 

Appear in my poor heart, appear ! 
Nor hold from me thy sacred light. 



235 



Though I have steeled my wicked heart, 
And drove away my guilt and fears ; 

Have urged the Spirit to depart, 
For many past rebellious years : 

Though I have most unfaithful prov'd, 
Of all who have received thy grace ; 

Have the broad road of death pursued, 
And often shunn'd thy smiling face : 

Yet, God, the chief of rebels spare. 

In honor of my Savior's name, 
Nor in thy righteous judgment swear 

To banish me in endless pain. 

The inclinations of my heart, 

To leave the Lord, my dearest friend, 

Inspire my soul with cruel smart, 
And make me weep because of sin. 

O Lord, my weary heart set free. 
Uplift my soul with mercy's hand ; 

And may I hence thy servant be. 

And find, through faith, the promised land. 



THE LOVE OF GOD. 

While man was in his dark estate, 
And chained with all the ills of sin ; 

When death eternal was his fate. 
And love to God was lost within ; 

When evil triumphed in his heart, 
And led him on the road to hell ; 

When he from justice did depart. 
And vipers did his bosom swell : 

The Lord in kindness saw his fate, 
On mercy's pinions winged his way 5 

Left all in glory, good and great, 
And took upon him mortal clay. 



236 



Down from the Father's courts he flew 
Was clothed in garments most divine ; 

His love did Adam's race pursue, 
When He expired for all mankind. 

The way to God hedged up by sin, 

Through blood divine he opened wide ; 

The sinner now may treasures win, 
May find a cleft in Jesus' side. 

For him his Savior bore the pain 

Of crucifixion on the tree ; 
That he might turn to God again, 

And bear the palms of victory. 

While in the garden knelt in prayer, 
My Savior's cries went up to God ; 

His angel flew — brought comfort there, 
Gave strength unto my dying Lord. 

All this the Savior did for man, 

To save him from the pains of hell ; 

All this is in salvation's plan. 

That Adam's race with God may dwell. 



THE FALLS OF NIAGARA. 

As I behold Lake Erie's waters, 

While passing down Niagara's stream, 

I tremble at their awful thunders, 

Like waking from some nightly dream. 

Here nature's God speaks to the stranger, 
And terrifies his soul with fear ; 

And shows to him his awful danger, 
If o'er this chasm he should steer. 

His mortal barque would dash in sunder. 
And break amid the raging stream ; 

The rocks and billows without number, 
Would soon destroy hope's faintest gleam. 



I 



rice's poetry. 237 

The Indian warrior down was driven, 

Was threaten'd with the waves of death; 

He o'er the cataract was riven, 

And to his fate resigned his breath. 

Before he plunged the raging waters, 
Which did his boon of life destroy, 

He to the Spirit prayed for quarters, 
In the eternal world of joy. 

He took his martial bow and armor. 
And laid them gently by his side ; 

And heard the dismal waters murmur, 
As he sailed on the rapid tide. 

In steady gaze was fast descending, 
To plunge his deep and dreary grave ; 

At length he o'er the verge was bending, 
And sunk beneath the foaming wave. 

Such is the emblem of the sinner, 

Whose danger God has long foretold ; 

Yet he will spurn his only Savior, 
And sell his life for love of gold. 



THE SAINT'S VIEW OF HEAVEN. 

While on the bank of death I stand 
And look o'er Jordan's stream, 

By faith I view the promised land 
Where all my treasures beam. 

0, what transporting, ravish'd scene 
Is this that heaves in sight ? 

Rich fields are dressed in living green, 
And streams of great delight. 

There trees of life with fruit abound, 

Which do immortal grow ; 
The brooks and landscape all around 

With richest treasures flow. 



238 



All o'er those vast, unbounded plains, 

The light of God doth shine ; 
There Christ, my Savior, ever reigns, 

And sheds his grace divine. 

No freezing winds or noxious breath 

Can reach that port of rest ; 
Disease and sorrow, pain and death, 

Can ne'er disturb the blest. 

When shall I find that happy place. 

And from all sin be free ? 
When shall I see my Savior's face, 

And in his presence be ? 

Filled with delight, my ravished soul 
Would bid this world farewell; 

Though waves of death around me roll, 
I would with Jesus dwell. 

There, on those plains where prophets stand, 

And all the blest on high. 
Our God we '11 worship in a band, 

Where pleasures never die. 



ACROSTIC ON LYDIA H. SIGOURNEY. 

L...OVE tunes thy harp with flaming grace ; 

Y...oung minstrels catch its softer strain; 
D...escanting thoughts oft leave their trace 

L..n thy lich mumbers, fraught with gain. 

A... poet's crest has flamed thy soul, 
H...igh o'er the sombre swain to soar! 

S...weet anthems from thy spirit roll , 
I...nspired with thy poetic lore. 

G...enius in rhyme expands thy flight! 

0...'er landscapes wide thy name is known ! 
U...nnumbered songsters swell that light, 

R...eflected from thy Father's throne. 



rice's poetry. 239 

N...0 years shall waste thy well earned fame, 
E...arth's future sons shall chime thy song ; 

Y...on mount of God shall own thy name, 
And bear thee home to Zion's throng. 



GOD THE EVERLASTING LIGHT. 

Farewell, ye shining lamps on high, 
With all your brilliant light ; 

Your golden charms were made to die, 
And turn to shades of night. 

Farewell, refulgent orb of day, 
In splendid flames arrayed ; 

My soul shall soar beyond thy ray, 
No longer want thy aid. 

The stars are but a dismal gleam 

Compared to my abode, 
Where lamps of life forever beam 

Throughout the courts of God. 

The Father of celestial Light 
Shall drive all gloom away. 

Nor shall one hour of darkness blight 
The glories of that day. 

No more shall tears of keenest grief, 

From my wet eyes distil, 
No more my heart shall seek relief, 

But Light my soul shall fill. 

There all the heavenly hosts shall stand 

Shall in one song unite, 
And in a firm, unbroken band. 

Shall worship with delight. 



240 rice's poetry. 

"PEACE, BE STILL." 

Fear dwelt within the bounding bark 
When raging winds did blow, 

And billows rolling, drear and dark, 
The deck did overflow. 

The crew were breathless, filled with fear, 
And baffled was their skill ; 

They cried, " Is not the Savior here ?" 
He rose , said, " Peace be still." 

The raging winds and storm did cease, 

Obeyed their Maker's will ; 
The sea was calm, and joyful peace 

Did every bosom fill. 

The power of Jesus stilled the wave, 

The winds in silence fell ; 
So he shall rescue from the grave 

All those that in him dwell. 

0, Lord ! thou didst in danger's hour, 
The howling tempest tame ; 

Come save me by thy Spirit's power, 
From hell's devouring flame. 

Thou who didst make the billows' pride 

Thy mission to fulfill, 
Destroy my passion's sinful tide, 

Speak, and say " Peace, be Still." 

Then I shall on thy bosom rest, 

And feel that all is well, 
Until I meet with angels blest, 

And in thy kingdom dwell. 



TO AN ABSENT WIFE. 

Hail, dearest one, though far away, 
I fain would with thee stay at home, 



rice's poetry. 241 

And hear thee for thy children pray, 

In melting strains, " Thy kingdom come." 

The loss of health urged me to roam, 
And dwell in this far distant land, 

Where waves of deep Atlantic foam, 
And rush upon her beaten strand. 

I left thee and my offspring dear. 

To see if I. that balm «ould find, 
Which drives away disease and fear. 

And cheers with hope the troubled mind. 

The cross is great, it rends my heart, 
The breakers beat on every side ; 

For I from time must soon depart. 

And plunge deep Jordan's rolling tide. 

The hectic flush is on my cheek, 

Consumption triumphs o'er my frame ; 

Hopeless the boon of health I seek, 
Hopeless I to this region came. 

Mary, thy bosom heaves in vain, 
To hail once more my kind return, 

For death shall rend our hearts in twain, 
When I shall fill the silent urn. 

While morning breaks the midnight gloom, 

My vision does thy beauty spy, 
And as I hasten to the tomb. 

By faith I view thy weeping eye. 

Weep not fair angel, not for me. 

Though strangers do my bed surround; 

By faith we shall God's glory see. 
And in his paradise be crowned. 

Tis true I pass the lonesome night, 
Where tears of solitude distil ; 
And when I view the morning light. 
Kind thoughts of thee my bosom thrill. 



21 



242 rice's poetry. 

My strength is gone, I shall no more 
Salute thee with my fond embrace ; . 

My dying strife will soon be o'er, 
And blast in me each comely grace. 

My little ones no more shall see 
Their distant father's face again ; 

Lord, I commit them all to thee ! 
O, save them from eternal pain ! 

Soon I must sigh the last farewell, 

Until God's trump shall rend the tomb, 

And call his servants home to dwell 
In triumph o'er the tyrant's doom ! 

Then, may we in that kingdom rise, 
Where vipers never sting the soul, 

Where God will us immortalize, 
As long as sinless ages roll. 

There death no longer shall destroy 
These temples with his iron rod ! 

But rivers of eternal joy. 

Shall issue from the throne of God ! 



JESUS THE CROWN OF MY HOPE. 

My Jesus, the life of my soul, 

From thee my salvation does flow ; 

Thy truth let my spirit control, 
Thy mercy lost Eden bestow. 

Lord, save me from sin and despair, 
In oceans of rapture and love, 

That I may thy glory declare. 
And press to thy kingdom above. 

Let thy arm my weakness sustain, 
From sorrow and pain set me free ; 

O help, or I never shall gain 

The land where thy servants shall be. 



243 



My lot must be mingled with pain, 
While passing the regions of time ; 

O, may it inspire me to gain 
A seat in thy angelic clime. 

May all my sad trials below 

Excite me to look unto God, 
That he to my heart may bestow 

That pardon which saves from his rod. 

And when my frail pulse shall no more 

Give life to this animal frame, 
My spirit shall wing the blest shore. 

Where God shall his people reclaim. 

In bonds of redemption on high, 

I '11 sail round my Savior's bright throne ; 
And with his archangels will spy 

Those regions to me now unknown. 

His beauty shall light with a blaze 
My soul by the gems of his love ; 

On his face my vision shall gaze. 
With all the blest angels above. 

No sickness or sin shall destroy 
The glory that lights up the soul; 

No foes to God's kingdom annoy 
That feast his own lingers control. 

This glorious hope is my crown. 
It cheers me in life's gloomy path ; 

The altar of sin it breaks down, 

And saves from the curse of its wrath. 



THE PENITENT'S PRAYER. 

Deep in distress my spirit lies, 

Condemn'd by God's unerring law — 

Low in the dust I make my cries, 
That I may heav'nly waters draw. 



244 



God of my soul ! O hear my voice ! 

For I am burden'd sore with sin ; 
I fain would make thy love my choice — 

Come heal the wound — 'tis deep within. 

Often have I transgress'd thy law, 
By which I 'm now condemn'd to die ! 

I see my sins — they from me draw 

Strong tears of grief — O hear my cry ! 

Come gracious Lord — without thy aid 
My soul must sink beneath her load ! 

Grant me the pardon thou hast made, 
And lead me in the narrow road. 

Cleanse me from this my crimson'd stain, 
And make my spirit pure and free ; 

That I may in thy mansion reign, 
And thy eternal glory see. 

To thee, Lord, be all the praise ! 

For thou art worthy — thou alone ! — 
O let me in thy kingdom raise 

Some nobler song around thy throne. 



McCOMB AND McDONOUGH'S VICTORY, 

AT PLATTSBURGH AND LAKE CHAMPLAIN. 

My countrymen what thanks we owe 

To our Almighty's name ; 
Who armed us right, our troops to fight, 

And put our foes to shame. 

*Twas for a while our country mourned 

Oppression's cruel blow; 
And deep laid plans, by wicked bands, 

Which hurried us to woe. 

The haughty powers of England rose, 
Our rights to take away ; 



rice's poetrt. 245 

By sea our men, had often been 
Captured as British prey. 

Now Lord Provost, with all his troops, 

Of fourteen thousand men; 
Did march away, from Canada, 

And come up to Champlain. 

While at Champlain, Provost inquired, 

Unto his friends did say, 
" Where is McComb, is he at home, 

Or has he run away ?" 

" Where is the brave McDonough now ? 

For him I 've come to seek ; 
I fear he 's run, my fleet to shun, 

Or hid in Otter creek." 

His friends then made him this reply, 

Unto their Lord did say, 
" They are both near, you need not fear. 

They '11 show you Yankee play.'* 

This British force to Plattsburgh came, 

And nigh the town did swarm ; 
The siege begin, and think to win. 

The town and fort by storm. 

Now near the river Saranac, 

The British first did come ; 
Attempt to cross, but met such loss, 

As crimsoned all the stream. 

Our valiant officer McComb, 

With well directed fire ; 
Did drive them back from Saranac, 

And caused them to retire. 

Wliile cannons their loud thunders roar, 

And buildings flame at night ! 
While shining o'er, from shore to shore 

A melancholy sight ! 



^21 



316 RICE*S POETRY. 

Green mountain boys turn out in swarms, 
Their country's cause was dear ; 

They fought for good, and firmly stood, 
No dangers they did fear. 

From hoary heads to beardless boys, 
By thousands here they met ; 

The laurels green, might here be seen. 
To wave in ev'ry hat. 

The New-York sons of Mars awake, 

Determined to be free, 
Turn out in haste, no time they waste, 

But fight for liberty. 

At length the fatal day arrived, 

The holy morning clear ; 
The British boats, the water hosts, 

Up Lake Champlain did steer. 

Now near the head of Cumberland, 
The British fleet appeared ; 

As they drew nigh, huzza they cry, 
And for our fleet did steer. 

Our Commodore addressed his men, 
" My boys be well prepared ;" 

The seamen bold, their matches hold, 
And wait their Captain's word. 

The dreadful conflict now begins. 
The most tremendous sound ; 

While air it shocks, the cottage rocks, 
And shakes the solid ground. 

Two hours or more the battle lasts, 

Our vict'ry did ensue ; 
The ball and shot, poured in so hot. 

Upon the British crew. 

Their valiant Commodore was killed, 
Their rudder shot away ; 



rice's poetry. S47 

Their flag came down, before the town, 
While thousands cried huzza ! 

Let us go near, and view the scene, 

The naval fight explore. 
Of shattered hulls, and mangled skulls, 

And decks besmeared with gore. 

Come view old Saratoga now, 

The Champion of the lake ; 
She's broken now, from stern to bow, 

And lies a sinking wreck. 

Her shivered masts, her shattered hull, 

The water pouring through : 
They pumped, they bailed, at length prevailed 

And saved their wounded crew. 

Here lies their valiant Commodore, 

Thus he resigned his breath ; 
And many a score of Britons more. 

Here met with instant death. 

Look at their Eagle sloop of war. 

Since captured by her prey ; 
Her wings are clipp'd, her feathers trip'd, 

She's sick of Yankee play. 

The Growler she soon run aground. 

Supposed in a fright ; 
Well might she growl, when she run foul, 

For she 'd no chance to bite. 

Some little craft that lay behind, 

Attempt to sneak away; 
0, it was fun, to see them run. 

And steer for Canada. 

Now British boys if you 've got home, 

Methinks you 'd better stay ; 
Think how Burgoyne, and Provost shine, 

Who tasted Yankee play. 



RICE S POETRY. 

On our brave officers and men, 
We will bestow much praise ; 

McDonough's fame, McComb by name. 
Shall last when time decays. 

My countr)^men, what thanks we owe 

To our Almighty's hand, 
Who armed with might our troops to fight. 

And save our sinking land. 



CHRIST'S CRUCIFIXION. 

My soul behold that solemn sight. 

When Jesus groan'd — shed tears and blood ! 
Witness that dark and dreary night, 

When agonized the Son of God ! 

Behold him led to Pilate's bar, 

By man was there condemn'd to die : 

The Jews and Romans from afar. 
Desire his death — and loudly cry ! 

Low on his bed the Savior lies. 

While spikes are driven through his hands ; 
They rear him up ! he groans ! he dies ! 

Amid the Jew and Gentile bands. 

Nature beheld the awful sight ! 

In deepest mourning felt the rod: 
The sun withdrew his brilliant light. 

When died for man the Lamb of God. 

The saints did rise, the mountains quake ! 

The Temple's veil was rent in twain : 
This mournful sight was for my sake, 

To save me from eternal pain. 

Three days in Joseph's marble tomb. 

The sinner's Friend was held in chains ! 

But lo ! he burst the silent gloom ! 
At God's right hand forever reigns. 



rice's poetry. 24& 



THE CUKSE OF THE LAW. 

Deep fell the storm of vengeance from above, 
On man devoted to his fictions god : 

That sin which drove away the precious Dove, 
Expos 'd him to Jehovah's awful rod. 

Low in his mire of sin and sable stain, 
He felt his torment, and let fall a tear: 

Mount Sinai shook ! to tell his soul was slain, 
And notice give, his case was full of fear. 

A mournful death has fell on guilty man ; 

His mortal part soon finds the dreary grave 
The soul departs in hell's deep gulf, to claim 

The pain of demons, where no help can save. 

Night's dreary curtain swells his mournful doom ! 

No day of mercy ever enters there ! 
The smoke and darkness make the spirit's tomb, 

And blast the soul with death and deep despair. 



ON THE DEATH OF A RELATIVE. 

jSweet blew the zephyr in the Western gale, 
With cheering prospect as it gently flew ; 

The soul now fled expected no assail, 
But soon was forced to bid us all adieu. 

The Monarch Death with iron nerves pursu'd 
In burning tide the crimson'd sluice of blood; 

A deadly chill his mortal track ensu'd. 

And drove the victim through the raging flood. 

His friends, snrpris'd approach'd his dying bed, 
Beheld his vital fluid mark'd with death ! 

His cheering visage by disease had fled ; 
Soon they beheld his last expiring breath. 

A mother's tears in kind affection flow, 
Distil upon his face, now cold and pale ! 



S^ rice's poetry. 

But hush ! he 's left this mortal vale of wo^ 
Methinks he 's wafted on a nobler gale. 

How oft have I in lowly accents heard 
His voice ascending to his God on high — 

" Father, save a rebel by thy word — 
A sinner by thy justice doom'd to die !" 

Keen was the blow ! 'twas unexpected fate, 
When he appear'd in dress of sable gloom ; 

Without returning in his former state, 

Was borne by friends unto his native home. 

Dry up your tears, and rend your hearts no more, 
For his departure from this barren strand : 

But weep for sin, and claim a brighter shore, 

Through Him, who bought for man fair Canaan's 
land. 



THE GOD OF THE TEMPEST. 

Great God ! thou ridest on the storm — 
Thy hand the elements control ! 

Man's fearful soul thou dost alarm. 

When lightnings flash and thunders roll. 

Thou darkenest the heavens above, 
The clouds in terror do appear ! 

The wind is swifter than the dove. 

And strikes the heart of man with fear. 

Before its strength the mighty oak, 
And tenements of fame are driven ; 

When God in wrath his word has spoke, 
All things before the blast are riven. 

The forest groans and then expires ! 

Man trembles at the awful scene, 
The kingly palace soon retires, 

And horror strikes the royal Queen. 



rice's poetry. 251 

Let man adore this mighty God ! 

That rules the tempest — governs all ; 
By doing thus, he saves the rod, 

While towers and mighty temples falL 

His arm is great — he wields the whole ! 

Man 's but the dust beneath his feet ; 
But yet he saves the deathless soul, 

In mercy from his judgment seat. 



DESTRUCTION OF SODOM. 

It was a clear and brilliant morning, 
When Lot in haste from Sodom fled ! 

The Sun in lustre most adorning, 
Shone bright on man's devoted head. 

No signs appeared of swift destruction, 
By fire and brimstone from on high ; 

But soon God made an introduction, 
Pour'd out his wrath for man to die. 

The law of God, so often broken. 

Drew vengeance from the courts above i 

The Sodomites receiv'd the token ; 
'Twas judgment for offended love. 

Long God had warned that wicked peopltff 
To flee from his impending storm, 

But they in no wise turn'd from evil, 
But followed sin in every form. 

The imprecations of Jehovah 
Rain'd brimstone in terrific roar ; 

The scene of death was quickly over, 
The Sodomites are here no more. 



252 kice's poetry. 

ACROSTIC ON LORENZO DOW. 

L...ORENZO Dow, bold servant of his God, 

0...'er land and sea did row against the tide ; 

R...ich with free grace, yet often felt the rod, 
E... scaped his foes, preached Jesus far and wide. 

N...ews of salvation moved his ravished heart, 
Z...ests from kind Heaven did his bosom swell, 

0...'er hill and dale he did God's truth impart, 
D...irected souls to flee the gates of hell. 

0...ver the world he like an angel flew, 

W...here sin and virtue mingled in their train , 

No Christian sect liis ample spirit knew, 
But such as on the Gospel truth remain. 



GOD RULES THE OCEAN. 

Great God, from whose Almighty form, 
The oceans vast received their birth, 

Who ridest on the direful storm 

Which fills with fear the sons of earth. 

Thou did'st in wisdom bound the sea, 
The mighty ocean dost assuage; 

All honor to thy name shall be, 

Thou still'st the waves in all their rage. 

At midnight when the dismal roar 
And storms of thunder beat around, 

The breakers and the frightful shore 
In all their terrors do abound. 

The mighty God who thus arose 
In direful wrath to threaten man, 

Can with his mercy interpose 

And check the ire he first began. 

The deep blue ocean he commands, 
Her waves are under his control ; 



RICE S POETRY. 



253 



Adore him all ye heavenly bands, 
And bless him my immortal soul. 

Ye mariners that sail the deep. 
Look to Him as your polar star ; 

Amid all danger He can keep 
And save you from the ocean's war. 

Salvation to his name belongs, 
He is the sailor's only hope ; 

Unto his praise we '11 raise our songs, 
His arm can bear our spirits up. 

And if our grave must be the deep, 
And we beneath its billows roll, 

We '11 trust in God, he will us keep, 
And save the never-dying soul. 




ON THE DEATH OF MY DAUGHTER. 

Her sun arose in morning glories. 
And shone with lustre on her face ; 

Her sparkling eyes and cheeks like roses, 
Did her fair form with beauty grace. 

She was her father's richest treasure. 
The gem her mother did embrace ; 



22 



254 rice's poetry. 

She fiU'd her parents' hearts with pleasure, 
But soon Eliza run her race. 

Her sky was clear and most adorning, 
But suddenly the tempest fell, 

Which veil'd her sun while it was morning. 
And angels took her home to dwell. 

Disease came on in awful presage, 

Enstainp'd her features in deep gloom; 

The tyrant, death, receiv'd his message, 
Which bore the victim to the tomb. 

Her dying strife we '11 long remember, 
Her dismal groans yet strike our ears ; 

Death-rattles in our thoughts engender. 
And cause our sympathetic tears. 

Six fleeting years her course has ended, 
Now our Eliza sleeps in death ; — 

Our joys and sorrows oft are blended, 
When we reflect her dying breath. 

No more we '11 hear her salutation. 
Her voice by death has pass'd away ; 

No more she '11 join in recreation. 
But tunes her harp in endless day. 

With her death groans have all departed, 
The ills of life she '11 fear no more ; 

Why then should we feel broken hearted, 
Or wish her on this mortal shore ? 

In brighter worlds I see her rising, 
Her spirit cloth'd in spotless white ; 

With saints above, in bliss surprising, 
She vies with angels in her flight. 

Now on the wings of endless glory 

She gathers fruit from Life's fair Tree, 

And ever tells her halcyon story, 
"Jesus, the Savior, died for me." 



255 



TO THE MEMORY OF DR. YOUNG. 

Great friend of man ! thy noble soul 
On matchless mercy oft did dwell ; 

Thy mental powers on themes did roll, 
Surpassing all that earth can tell. 

Thy intellect was fired with love, 

With sparkling gems in Heav'n born ; 

Thy soul was harmless as the dove 
And brilliant as the fulgent morn. 

Thy moral darkness did retire, 

Which left thy spirit cloth'd in white; 

The groans on Calvary did inspire 
Thy song with all the powers of light. 

The love of God who sent his Son 
To bleed and die for Adam's ban, 

Was the rich theme on which did run 
The spirit of this mighty man. 

Life, death, and immortality, 
Gave action to his giant soul — 

Those topics, boundless as the sea. 
Did all his powers of mind control. 

On things eternal he did soar, 

Enter'd the depths of Heaven and hell I 
Pointed the soul from whence did pour 

Sweet balm from King Immanuel. 

But Edward Young is here no more — 
This friend of God has gone to rest! 

Has anchor'd on the heavenly shore, 
And lives forever with the blest. 

Redemption is his glorious song, 
On this he dwelt while here below; 

He mingles with the blissful throng. 
Where fruits of life immortal grow. 



256 rice's poetry. 

His wearied soul shall never tire, 

Nor mingle with the shades of night ; 

But raptur'd with celestial fire 

Shall vie with angels in its flight. 

There, sailing round the Tree of Life, 

It gathers immortality ; 
There, free from every care and strife, 

Is wafted on a boundless sea. 

Long as eternity shall roll, 
His spirit shall its God adore ; 

And gold of Heav'n bedeck his soul, 
While dew-drops from his Savior pour. 

All tear<? are driven from his eyes, 
His baneful enemies have fled ; 

He ranges through the upper skies 
In triumph o'er the wicked dead. 




THE SAILOR BOY. 

'TwAs when I cross'd the trackless ocean, 

I left my mother far away. 
Her heart was full of deep commotion, 

Besought her Boy with her to stay. 

1 would not hear her kind instruction, 

I trifled as she did bemoan. 
She plead with me in deep compunction. 

But, ah ! I stifled every groan. 

I spurn'd her kindest admonition, 
I thought my way was best of all ; 



rice's poetry. 257 

But soon I found my sad position, 
Was lonesome as the dungeon hall. 

The blue waves rose in deep commotion, 
And terror seiz'd me ev'ry breath ; 

I found sad ploughing on the ocean, 
And ev'ry hour expected death. 

My mother for me oft was praying, 

That God would save her absent Boy ; 

My Heavenly Father was displaying 
Those motives that should end in joy. 

I soon began to cast reflection 

Upon my mother's cries and tears ; 

I look'd to God and found protection. 
Which gave me joys amidst my fears. 

The prayer of faith shall never slumber, 
' Tis heard in the Almighty's ear. 

And by it blessings without number 
Dry up the penitential tear. 



TO THE MEMORY OF ROBERT POLLOK. 

Behold the servant of the Lord, 

Endowed with holy fire ; 
With rapture dwelt upon God's word ; 

Which tuned his sacred lyre. 

He trod the world beneath his feet, 

And like an eagle soared ; 
And bowed before the mercy seat. 

Where living waters poured. 

The Course of Time had fired his soul, 

To dwell on things above; 
And nothing earthly could control 

The passions of his love. 



►22 



2S8 rice's poetry. 

The joys of Heaven and pains of hell, 

Absorb'd his giant mind ; 
No mortal tongue can ever tell, 

How much he loved mankind. 

His time was short on earth to preach, 
Those treasures bought by grace ; 

Yet long his worthy song shall teach, 
The sons of Adam's race. 

And Avhile his deathless soul shall sing, 

The anthem of the skies, 
His Course of Time shall lend her wing, 

And help mankind to rise. 



ACROSTIC ON SIR ISAAC NEWTON. 

I...NDULGENT geuius ! thou didst heaven explore, 
S...earched by thy mind the shining stars on high , 

A. ..mazing flight ! by knowledge thou didst soar 
A... cove the line whero sages could not fly. 

C.elestial grandeur bore thy thoughts away; 

N...ew worlds invoked thy astrologic lore ; 
E...ternal Wisdom led thee to survey 

W...here man's weak pinions never soared before. 

T...hy name shall live as long as mountains last, 
0...r waters to their destined oceans run ; 

N...ew light shall fire thee at the trumpet's blast, 
When stars shall fall and darkness veil the sun. 



MY MOTHER'S EXIT. 

Farewell, my Mother ! thou hast gone 
Unto the mansion of the dead. 

And left thy earthly friends forlorn. 
To mourn a kindred spirit fled. 



rice's poetry. 

But let these eyes of mine be dry, 
My loss is her immortal gain ; 

She ranges through the far off' sky, 
Is free from ev'ry care and pain. 

The ills of life no more inspire 

Her grief-worn heart with pain and woe 
Her dying groans in haste retire, 

Her tears of grief have ceased to flow. 

Her mortal frame in death's embrace. 
Must sleep until the judgment day, 

And then behold her Savior's face, 

Where cares and pain have passed away. 

Oft shall my heart recall to mind. 
Her friendship lo her kindred dear; 

That kindness which her soul did bind 
To me through every grief and fear. 

When ills inspired my infant years, 
And drove the joys of youth away, 

Her calming voice dried up my tears, 
And bid me look to God and pray. 

Her ears were open to my cr}^, 

When sickness did me long confine ; 

Her smiles oft cheered my gloomy sky. 
When pain did round my heart entwine. 

Ah ! that kind voice I '11 hear no more. 
Nor see those eyes oft drowned in tears, 

Nor view those hands which burdens bore 
To ease my pain and quell my fears. 

But lo ! in fairer worlds above, 
Her spirit shares a rich rew^ard. 

And Avears a crown of spotless love. 
Once purchased by her dying Lord. 

There from those clear and lasting streams, 
That flow from her Redeemer's side 



260 rice's poetry. 

She dwells in mercy's richest beams, 
And sails on Heaven's purest tide. 

In that bright world no waves shall roll 
In midnight darkness round her head; 

No pain inspire her raptured soul, 
Since from its mortal prison fled. 

O God ! prepare me soon to meet 
My Mother in that land of rest ; 

To cast my crown at Jesus' feet, 
And ever mingle with the blest. 

No sorrows there shall vex my soul. 
Or scourge it with an earthly cell; 

But golden waves shall round me roll, 
AVhile devils wail their loss in hell. 

There saints and angels on the wing, 
Shall sail around the Father's Son; 

And in their brilliant flight shall sing, 
That blood-bought song on Calv'ry won. 



CHRIST'S AGONY IN THE GARDEN. 

' Tis midnight ! and my Lord retires, 
And in the garden prays alone ; 

His soul is fraught with vast desires. 
His pond'rous load can sin atone. 

'Tis midnight ! and the Father's Son, 
Amid the gloomy scenes of night, 

Falls down and cries, " Thy will be done, 
Thou King of kings, thou God of light." 

T 'is midnight ! and his chosen few, 
To watch his grief — behold his tears — 

At this dark hour dare not pursue 
Their Master in his midnight fears. 

'Tis midnight ! and the bloody sweat, 

Pressed from the Savior stains the ground ; 



RICE S POETRY. 261 

His eyes with gushing tears are wet, 
While darkness spreads its gloom around. 

' Tis midnight ! and the angel flies, 

Endowed with power to cheer the Wo^d, 

Strengthens the Savior ere he dies. 
And gives for man his precious blood. 

'Tis midnight ! and a wicked band 
Of Jews now seek the Son of God; 

The traitor stretches forth his hand, 
And with a kiss betrays his Lord. 

'Tis midnight ! but the morning sun, 

In all his grandeur shall arise, 
To see the boon of Calvary won. 

And man made welcome to the skies. 

*Tis midnight! but our God and King 
Shall triumph o'er the marble tomb ! 

That he may his salvation bring, 
And save us from lost angels' doom.. 



ADDRESS TO THE YOUTH. 

" Young people all attention give," 
While I the word of God proclaim 5 

Ye who in vile offences live, 

Let Gospel truth your souls inflame. 

I 've sought for earth's expiring toys, 
And ranged the giddy scenes of vice, 

But never found unfading joys. 
Until I sought God's paradise. 

King Jesus spoke my sins forgiven. 
And washed my guilty stains away, 

Inspired me with the hope of Heaven, 
And led me in the narrow way. 

And now with gloomy thoughts I view 
The lake of fire beneath you roil; 



262 bice's poetry. 

For waves of darkness wait for you , 
Who slight the Savior of the soul. 

Youth as the morn will soon be gone, 
By fleeting years or blasting death; 

Your morning sun may set forlorn, 
And you in haste resign your breath. 

Your piercing eyes and ruby cheeks 
Shall falter like the stricken rose ; 

The dreary grave and winding sheet 
Will soon your mortal limbs enclose. 

Ye blooming Youth! why will ye strolH 
The gaping tomb must be your bed, 

And clouds of midnight round you roll, 
While sleeping with the silent dead. 

Your friends shall view the dismal place, 
And with deep sighs move slow along, 

Reflecting on that lovely face. 

No more to meet the living throng. 

But lo the soul ! where justice reigns! 

It sinks in hell's eternal cries ! 
It raves amid the burning flames, 

Where the afl;righted spirit dies ! 

There bound by death's immortal chain, 
Where demons rage in seas of fire ! 

To mourn and feel the sinner's pain, 
Confirmed by God's eternal ire ! 

Ye blood-bought Youth, this is the doom 
Of all who do God's grace refuse ; 

And soon with you there '11 be no room 
With saints above a crown to choose. 

Come lay your mortal weapons by. 
No longer fight against the Lord, 

But with his mercy now comply, 

" And Heaven shall be your great rewa/d." 



aiCE*S POETRY. 263 



ADAM'S FALL AND RESTORATION. 

When I reflect upon that scene, 
When man in deep pollution fell, 

The clouds of midnight intervene, 
And waves roll o'er me dark as hell. 

In that dread moment all was lost ! 

Mankind were bound in doleful chains ! 
Their ruined barques by sin were tost, 

To founder on lost Eden's plains. 

Ln haste the vile intruders fled, 

Were forced to leave their Paradise ; 

God's sacred law pronounced them dead, 
To all that's graceful, good, or wise. 

The curse rolls on in plaintive strains ; 

Deep gloom enshrouds lost Adam's race; 
The fatal treason yet remains. 

And stamps the soul with deep disgrace. 

Diseases spread in ev'ry form. 

And chill the vital streams of life ; 

We live amid the raging storm 
Of human nature's dying strife. 

Pain in succession follows pain ; 

Man's couch is often wet with tears ; 
The waves of death in triumph reign, 

And fill the world with groans and fears. 

Lost Eden ! 'tis for thee I mourn ! 

But mourn in vain thy kind return; — 
My wicked heart must here be torn, 

And in affliction's furnace burn. 

The law provides no help for man ; 

By it the sinner's doom is sure ; 
But hall my soul ! salvation's plan ! 

This will eternal life secure. 



264 rice's poetry. 

This will destroy the chains of sin, 
And set the crimsoned victim free; 

This will empower the soul to win 
God's favor, on life's raging sea. 

And when the scenes of time shall pasa^ 
And dust again to dust return ; 

The soul shall range the sea of glass, 
And in eternal glory burn. 

Jesus has borne that awful scourge. 
Which doomed a sinful world to hell; 

And rescued man when on the verge 
Of the dark pit where demons dwell. 

He bore the terrors of the law, 

When on the cross of Calv'ry bound ; 

That man may free salvation draw, 
And in God's Paradise be found. 



THE DYING CHRISTIAN. 

I gazed upon the bed, 

Where God's young servant lay ; 
His brilliant hope of earth had fled, 

And cheerless was its ray. 

Bright was his youthful brow. 
While in death's fearful hour; 

And clear that mind God did endow. 
By his almighty power. 

Disease had sunk his frame ; — 

Wasted and pale he lay ; 
Yet on his pallid cheek there came 

A sign of endless day. 

No pain obscured the light. 
That filled his brilliant eye; — - 

Within the veil faith took her flight, 
Where gems can never die. 



RICE S POETRY. 265 

AVitli what a look of bliss, 

And sweet enchanting voice, 
He said, " How lovely Jesus is ! 

He is my only choice." 

*' No cloud sets on my mind, 

As I approach the goal ; 
Soon I shall over Jordan find 

The treasures of my soul.'* 

Then like a gentle dove, 

His eyes he closed in sleep; 
But soon awoke, — expressing love, 

Saying, " Why do you weep ?" 

" Salvation ! sing, ! sing 

That lovely song once more, 
Before I spread my spirit wing 

To light on Canaan's shore." 

*Twas sung — a prayer was made — 

Then passed the sad farewell, 
While Jesus had his chariot stayed, 

To take him home to dwell. 

He 's gone to shout on high. 

To join the angel band. 
Where saints of God shall never die, 

Nor give the parting hand. 

O, may I meet him there, 

When I on earth shall fail ; 
And in Christ's kingdom have a share 

Beyond deep Jordan's vale. 



ACROSTIC FOR A BROTHER. 

J...UST have thy afflictions been ! 

E...arth has prov'd a solemn place ; 
R.. .aging waves and grief by sin, 

0...ft have veil'd thy mourning face. 



23 



266 rice's POETRy. 

M...uch hast thou endur'd on earth, 
E...vil illness racks th\^ frame ! 

H...elp for thee has found no birth;— 
R...ead and bless thy Savior's name. 

I...n the courts where angels dwell, 
C.omfort may inspire thy soul; 

E...arth thy sickness can't £xpel ! 
Life thy spirit may control. 



PRAYER IN SICKNESS. 

Father, send thy kind angel down, 
And cheer this midnight gloom; 

O, send him now before I pass 
The silence of the tomb. 

I lie upon my pillow pale, 

And in my sleep bemoan ; 
And when I wake, my spirit's wail 

Is felt in ev'ry groan. 

My days of joy have passed away. 

And pain destroys my frame ; 
The fever blast in dread array 

Sends forth its burning flame. 

No help for me in man is found,— 

Too short his finite arm ; 
O let thy healing grace abound. 

And hush my dread alarm. 

Restore this frame to health once more. 

Dispel the raging tide ; 
Let that rich balm upon me pour. 

That flowed from Jesus' side. 

Send down thy Holy Spirit now ! 

My soul and body heal ; 
Once more receive my sacred vow, 
And thy rich love reveal. 



RICE S POETRY. 

Then my glad heart will loud proclaim 
Thy grace while here below ; 

And glorify thy worthy name, 
Which did such mercy show. 

And when my spirit shall no more 
In this frail barque remain, 

I '11 land upon some distant shore, 
And with my Savior reign. 



267 




THE LAND OF THE FREE. 

America ! thrice happy land ! 

Her banners float from shore to shore ; 
The blue Atlantic chafes hor strand. 

While waves of broad Pacific roar. 

Nurtured by her prolific breasts, 
Unnumbered pleasures daily rise; 

They shine in nature's brilliant dress, 
And prove to be earth's paradise. 

Vast prairies crowned, like seas of gold, 
Lit up by sunbeams, roll afar ; 

And silver lakes her skies behold. 
Reflecting light from ev'ry star. 

Her flowing 'rivers, mountain-born, 
Descend in channels dark and deep, 

Through dreary forests, where the fawn 
Does often from his covert leap. 



26S rice's poetry. 

Diversified, with vales and hills, 
Laden with fruit on ev'ry side, 

Her joys abound, and music fills 
Her floating zephyrs as they glide. 

Her plenty crowns each passing year ; 

Her ample harvests deck the land ; 
Her worthy sons forestall no fear, 

Though tyrants prowl with hireling band. 

Father ! we thank thee for this home. 
Where sons and daughters may be free ; 

Where strangers from afar may come, 
And hail this land of Liberty. 

Upon her standard place thy seal ; 

Let hamlets grow and cities rise ; 
Give nations yet unborn to feel 

The glories of her paradise. 

On her kind angels look with joy 
To see the heathen fetters break, 

And hostile chains no more destroy 
The choice of faith for Jesus' sake. 

The Gospel banner here shall rise. 

And spread her wings from shore to shore 

While man 's made welcome to the skies. 
And fears the mart^. r's flame no more. 



ACROSTIC ON EDWARD D. GRIFFIN. 

E...TERNAL wisdom did inspire thy soul; — 
D...eputed angels were thy guards below : 

W...orthy that grace which did thy mind control, 
A...nd led thee on where living waters flow. 

R...edempiion was the subject of thy theme, 

D...escending through the medium of the cross I 

D...issolved in love thy cheerful eyes did beam ; 
G...ave up the world, and prized it all but dross. 



RICE S POETRY. 269 

R... evolving orbs invoked thy giant lore ; — 
I...mmortal subjects did thy bosom swell ; 

F...ervent thy search for gems on Zion's shore ; — 
F... lying for mansions where the angels dwell. 

I...nfinite moment pressed thy pious heart ; — 

N....ew light from Heaven bore thy thoughts on 
high: 
Near seventy years God did to thee impart, 
Then called thee home where saints shall never 
die. 

PERILS OF THE OCEAN. 

While on the dark and dreary ocean, 
The sailor's heart is struck with fear; 

The waves arise in great commotion, 
And draw from him the pensive tear. 

The winds blow high, the thunder's roaring, 
And vivid lightnings rend the air ; 

The sailor on his knees imploring 
His God to save him from despair, 

High o'er the deck the rolling surges 
And mountain waves with dismal foam, 

Raise from the crew their mournful dirges, 
Compel the strongest heart to mourn. 

At 

But when the wrath of God assuages 
And saves the sailor from the storm, 

His wicked heart in madness rages, 
And curses God in ev'ry form. 

He soon forgets his grief and terrors, 
Which cloth'd his soul in robes of night, 

Returns again to all his errors, 

And spurns that God who gives him light. 

His harden'd heart, once rais'd from slumber 
By threaten'd danger from the wave. 

Has curs'd the Lord, times without number, 
And soon must die a wicked slave. 



^23 



270 kice's poetry. 



THE FRANTIC LOVER IN SEARCH OF A 
WIFE. 

I heard a voice from God descend, 
" Not good for man to dwell alone;" 

With mercy's hand he made a friend, 
And then his noblest work was done. 

Since Heaven has thus designed for me 
The fairest jewel earth can boast; 

Why then the graceful virgin flee, 

And shun the gem that charms me most ? 

I can no longer be unwise, 

And spurn the choicest gift to man; 

In haste I '11 seek the matchless prize, 
And win some lady, if I can. 

To use no guile, I will relate 

What I possess of treasures here ; 

My form and features truly state ; 
My character will strive to clear. 

My wealth it is six thousand pounds; 

My stature comely — somewhat tall ; 
My hair with raven curls abounds ; 

My eyes are sparkling, black and small. 

My features blooming as the rose ; 

Complexion ruby, white and fair, 
And from my head down to my toes, 

A graceful form of beauty rare. 

I fancy that I 've scaled the mount 
Of wisdom and immortal fame; 

Have drawn from education's fount 
A brilliant orator by name. 

As for a poet, you may see 

What wonders my deep skill has wrought ; 
Truly there can but seldom be 

One like me ever found, if sought 



271 



My character is white as snow ; 

My flag it waves in high renown ; 
No one at me e'er struck the blow, 

Destined to bring my glory down. 

If any damsel in the land, 

Is blest with wealth and gifts so kind, 
I would invite her gentle hand, 

And also freely give her mine. 



ACROSTIC ON ELIPHALET NOTT. 

E...TERNAL prospects light thee with a flame ; — 
L...ove draws thy thoughts above this vale ct 
tears ; — 

I...mmortal thirstings grasp thy Savior's name, 
P...repares thy soul to rise above her fears. 

H...old up the sceptre, it is red with blood, 

A... fount of blood that flowed from Jesus' side ! 

L...ook to that ensign through the crimsoned flood, 
E... merge from darkness, and to glory ride. 

T...he frosts of winter bleach thy manly brow; — 
N...ews for the grave does bear thee fast along ! 

0, ...man of God ! let grace thy soul endow, 
' T...ill thou shalt meet above in Zion's throng. 

T...emples of gold will soon avail thee not. 
Or all the diamonds of the desert strand : 

Thy soul through mercy claims a better lot, 
* Tis God's salvation with the heavenly band. 



EPITAPH. 

Reader, as you pass by my tomb, 

The voice of Death invites your ear; 

Which silently proclaims your doom, 
And warns you to the Judge appear. 



272 rice's poetry. 

Enraptured with a Savior's love, 

The deathless soul can pass the vale; 

Inspired with hope of joys above, 
She bids defiance to the ffale. 



GOD'S OMNISCIENCE. 

Almighty God ! thy piercing eye, 
By wisdom deep all things survey ; 

The dust of earth, and worlds on high, 
Thou seest through thy eternal day. 

What cavern deep, what distant clime 
Shall I beyond thy reach pursue ? 

What dark recess, what mount sublime 
Shall keep me from thy boundless view' 

If I should take my upward flight. 
And to angelic mansions rise; 

Thy presence there would veil my sight, 
And fill my heart with sad surprise. 

Thou art the wonder of my soul. 

Thy name my conscious pow'rs adore ; 

Thy knowledge does all worlds control, 
Thy sight the universe explore. 

Thy breath inspires this mortal frame, 
It runs through ev'ry vein of life ; 

Endows my soul with living flame, 
To soar above this dying strife. 

To Thee, by whom all things were made. 
Whose gracious smile is heav'n below. 

Whose matchless glory ne'er shall fade, 
My grateful strains in love shall flow. 



273 



HYMN OF PRAISE. 

Jehovah decks his awful throne ! 

Before his face all nations bow; 
He is our God and he alone ; 

To Him we pledge our sacred vow. 

By his right arm all things w^ere made ; 

He touched the clay and man arose ; 
And when we from his precept strayed, 

He sent his Son to interpose. 

We '11 crowd thy gates dear Son of God, 
With grateful songs our voices raise ; 

And when we feel affliction's rod, 
Thou art the object of our Praise. 

Thy dreadful mandate has no bounds, 
All nature feels thy plastic arm ; 

Through earth and hell thy name resounds 
Thy foes to curse, — thy saints to charm. 

Did w^e ten thousand tongues possess, 
Dear Lord they should thy name revere; 

By prayer would thy rich throne address , 
And bring thy gracious promise near. 



THE ONLY TRUE GOD. 

Almighty God ! the great first cause 
Of all we see, and worlds unknown; 

Nature obeys thy perfect laws, 
And man depends on' Thee alone. 

Thy being uncreated stands, 

Of thy own power thou art possessed ; 
No one controls thy vast commands, — 

From nature's fountain thou art blest. 

Thy plastic voice our being gave, 
To Thee our utmost praise belongs; 



274 rice's poetry. 

No other gods have power to save, 
None worthy of our grateful songs. 

Father our hope shall rest in Thee, 

Thou art the source of peace and joy; 

Through faith we thy salvation see, 
Thy glory shall our tongues employ. 

All honor to thy name is due. 

Our thanks to Thee alone we give ; 

Thy precepts are both just and true, 
And teach our spirits how to live. 

From thy eternal fountain send 
Renewing grace to make us free ; 

And w^hen the scenes of time shall end, 
We shall thy glorious presence see. 



SHALL THE SWORD DEVOUR FOREVER?" 

Strict justice guards the Son of God,— 
Resplendent glory veils his face; 

We feel the scourges of his rod, 

And bow before his throne of grace. 

Let thy support in ancient years 

Confirm our trust, our hope sustain ; 

Let grace divine expel our fears, 
Our urgent prayer thy favor gain. 

B):eak down the raging warrior's heart, 
And stamp thy peace in mercy there ; 

To ev'ry council love impart, 

Let thefm thy fount of wisdom share. 

O when shall time's swift pinions tell 
That war's destructive rage is o'er ? 

When hostile foes inspired with hell 
Shall spill each others blood no more ? 

Dear Savior let thy kingdom come. 
Let saving grace the heart renew; 



rice's poetry. 275 

Convert the hostile deaf and dumb, 
And they will paths of peace pursue. 

Then shall the Gospel's balmy wing 
In peace its joyful lustre spread ; 

To bleeding hearts its treasures bring, 
To all mankind its mercy shed. 



DECISION OF THE JUDGE. 

Jesus the Lord of glory reigns, 

Let ev'ry saint in rapture tell ; 
Tune all their harps in highest strains. 

For he has conquered death and hell. 

His counsels are by man unknown, 

His throne sustained by truth and grace ; 

He claims all nature for his own, 

And through it shines his smiling face. 

In robes of judgment he shall come, 

The tombs shall burst, — the earth shall quake; 
His ransomed flock he' 11 gather home, 

Where they his fruits of life partake. 

His foes shall flee in sore dismay 

When they behold his angry face, 
Their guilty souls will pass away 

To mourn in pain and deep disgrace. 

No more shall tears of mercy fall. 

No more shall pardon greet their ears ; 

No more the blood of Jesus call, 
No more his voice dispel their fears. 

'Tis midnight and the spirit's wail 

Is heard through all the depths of hell. 

While saints of God their Savior hail 
In higher courts where angels dwell. 



276 rice's poetry. 

SALVATION BY THE GOSPEL. 

O praise the Lord, ye distant lands, 

Ye tribes of ev'ry name ; 
His saving grace your love demands, 

His groans your homage claim. 

Say to all nations Jesus' blood 
Was spilt their souls to save ; 

Beneath his cross sin's rapid flood 
Sinks in the gaping grave. 

Let angel harps the news proclaim 
Throughout the courts of God ; 

From thence declare on earth's domain, 
Jesus the winepress trod. 

Let ev'ry island of the sea 
Rejoice the news to hear ; 

Let sinners to the refuge flee. 
And cast away their fear. 

Ye vallies rise, and mountains sink, 
Make straight the crooked way : 

Ho all the world the waters drink, 
And live in endless day. 

Blest are the souls that hear and know 
This notice God has given, 

Peace shall attend them here below. 
And crowns of life in Heaven 



JESUS, OUR HOPE IN AFFLICTION. 

When death the pale monster was near, 
No mortal my strength could restore; 

My Lord did in mercy appear, 
His grace in my bosom to pour. 

His all-cheering presence dispels 

The prospect of death's gloomy night ; 



rice's poetry. 277 

In the heart of the mourner He dwells, 
And turns all his darkness to light. 

He has my lost comfort restored, 
His favor has soothed all my woes ; 

His name shall be ever adored, 
For in him alone is repose. 

What thanks to my Savior I owe 
For mercy received from his hand ? 

From him my salvation does flow, 
By him in his Zion I stand. 

Dear Lord be a lamp to my feet, 

And make my heart perfect in thee, 

That I in thy kingdom may greet 
The millions in Heaven made free. 

And when I must lay down this clay, 

And dust unto dust shall return, 
I '11 bask in the regions of day. 

In raptures of glory to burn. 



A MORNING HYMN. 

While I in sleeps's oblivion laid, 
I fearless pass the gloom of night, 

*Till morning sun dispels the shade, 
And fills me with his cheering light. 

Through faith I glory in God's name, 
He makes my soul rejoice to be ; 

My conscious spirit spreads his fame, 
And ruihes forth his face to see. 

Direct me Lord through this dark maze. 
My wand'ring feet are made to tread ; 

Let Gospel light around me biaze 

When shades of midnight veil my head. 



24 



278 RICE S POETRY. 

A darker nifrht shall soon appear, 
And bind me in a pulseless sleep; 

In that dread hour dispel my fear, 
Nor let my troubled spirit weep. 

But soon those shades will pass away, 
That night shall fail my soul to bind; 

Through grace she 'II wing eternal day, 
And leave her sleeping dust behind. 

Nor shall her dust forever sleep, 

The trump of God the tomb shall rend , 

The mortal clay no more shall weep, 
But with the soul in glory blend. 



AN EVENING HYMN. 

To God my evening praise shall be. 
His gracious arm my life defends ; 

My soul shall to his refuge flee. 

And feel those blessings which he sends. 

He has my sinful life prolonged. 

And saved me when the grave was near; 
When foes to grace around me thronged, 

He braved my spirit not to fear. 

I now recline my head to rest. 
And in his saving truth confide; 

Both night and dfiy he has me blest, 
By virtue of the Crucified. 

Dear Lord, thy vision on me keep, 

While gloom of midnight veils my head; 

And when in nature's balmy sleep 
Let some kind angel guard my bed. 

Faith in thy name my spirit cheers ;—~ 

Be thou my Savior ever nigh 
To wipe away my falling tears. 

And bear me up to thee on high. 



rice's poetry. 279 

And when the awful night shall come, 
When du3t shall back to dust return, 

Thy arms of love shall bear me home, 
Where I shall full salvation learn. 



GOD MY REFUGE IN DISTRESS. 

Lord bow *iy stubborn will to thee, 
That I no longer may complain ; 

From all pollution set me free, 
And break my melancholy chain. 

When sickness shakes my mortal frame, 
And disappointments rend my heart, 

When sins oppress my soul with shame, 
O Lord, thy healing grace impart. 

When want inflames my troubled breast, 
And weeping children cry for bread, 

I will in God's salvation rest. 

For he can raise my drooping head. 

When hypocrites my soul deceive. 
And lead me in the gloom of night, 

My wounded spirit soon shall grieve, 
And press into the Gospel light. 

When I lay on the bed of death, 
And hasten to the gaping tomb. 

Through faitrh in God I '11 yield my breath, 
With resignation meet my doom. 

And when my flesh descends the grave. 
Death shall no more my peace destroy; 

Sustaining grace my soul shall save, 
And bear it home to worlds of joy. 



280 rice's poetry. 

NO KEST ON EARTH. 

Man rages with a restless fire, 
His soul is moved with vast desire ; 
On things of time his passions fly, 
Where his departing treasures lie. 

No gems of earth can bind the soul, 
No fading charms her powers control ; 
She bursts her chains, and takes her flight 
To feast among the stars of light. 

In raging fever's mortal reign, 
The patients seek relief in vain ; 
For rest they turn from side to side, 
But still remains the burning tide. 

So man's immortal soul shall burn, 
From object unto object turn; 
And nothing satisfy his mind 
'Till he eternal life shall find. 

Father subdue our vicious thirst. 
And let these transient bubbles burst; 
Bear us above earth's fading toys 
In prospect of eternal joys. 

And when our spirits take their flight, 
And leave the scenes of vain delight ; 
May they the land of rest explore. 
And slake their thirst on Zion's shore. 



THE GRAVE. 

How peaceful is the silent grave, 
Where cares of life are o'er ? 

A sacred shrine our dust to save, 
' Till time shall be no more. 

The wicked there from envy cease 
Their rage by death is fled ; 



rice's poetry. 281 

The Christian's dust shall rest in peace, 
Soft be his sleeping bed. 

There pris'ners all shall take their rest, 

Eeleased from slav'ry's chain ; 
No more in loathsome cells be prest, 

And grieve a tyrant's reign. 

The servants and their masters meet 

To share the same repose ; 
Their hearts in wrath no longer beat, 

No envy can disclose. 

The rich and poor have gone to sleep, 

No food they longer need ; 
The warriors have no eyes to weep, 

For reptiles on them feed. 

All leveled by the hand of death, 

They meet one common doom ; 
And rest ' till God's reviving breath 

Shall raise them from the tomb. 



PRAYER FOR SALVATION. 

Thou Son of God remember me, 
And wash my guilty stains away; 

Thy soul endured my agony, 

When in the garden thou didst pray. 

Thy dreadful pangs and bloody sweat. 
Sunk Thee beneath thy Father's rod ; 

That midnight hour shall not forget. 
To tell the vengeance of thy God. 

Thou didst the bloody winepress tread, 
To set my guilty spirit free ; 

And burst the mansion of the dead, 
That I might crowns of glory see. 

Savior, I call upon thy name, 

Regard my fainting heart's desire ; 



^24 



282 kice's poetry. 

Remove my load of guilt and shame, 
Or I must in my sins expire. 

To Thee I hring my weeping heart, 
While chains of death my spirit bind ;- 

The tyrant with uplifted dart 

Draws near, and hell is just behind. 

I tremble at the second death. 

That endless punishment by Thee j 

"Restore me by thy quick'ning breath, 
And set my troubled spirit free. 



THE MOURNER'S PETITION. 

Show pity Lord, my sins forgive, 

Nor let a mourning rebel die ; 
On thy rich banquet let me live, 

And slake my thirst from springs on high. 

The power and glory of thy grace 
Can all my sinful crimes subdue ; 

Let love divine my soul embrace. 
That I may wisdom's path pursue. 

Now set my guilty conscience free. 
And wash my soul from all her stain ; 

Let me thy dying anguish see. 

When Thou wast for my spirit slain. 

My lips with shame confess my sin, 
Which spurned the favors of thy face ; 

Come now in my poor heart begin 
The work of thy subduing grace. 

Should vengeance seize my vital breath, 
And send me to the deepest hell. 

Thy justice would be felt in death, 
Th}" sacred law confirm it well. 



rice's poetry. 283 

Yet Lord a weeping sinner save, 
Let mercy bind liis bleeding heart ; 

Save from the dying spirit's grave, 
Thy everlasting love impart. 



GOD SEEN IN THE OCEANS. 

Eternal God ! thy plastic voice 
Makes all the troubled waters roar; 

The monsters of the deep rejoice, 
In nature's notes thy name adore. 

The softest word of thy command, 
In haste can calm the raging wave ; 

Ships are supported by thy hand, 

When they the dreadful tempest brave. 

The scaly tribes that swim the deep, 
The wisdom of their God declare; 

The Oceans' swelling waters keep 
Their beds, and slake the thirsty air. 

These fountains are a yawning grave, 
In them unnumbered millions lie ; 

'Tis God who first their being gave, 
And his own voice can speak them dry. 

On their broad bosoms sailors rage. 

While ploughing for some distant shore ; 

To curse the Lord they oft engage. 

While waves of death around them roar. 

My soul awake to wisdom's voice, 

For oceans deep give God the praise ; 

By them we claim our better choice 
Of traffic, which all nations raise. 



284 rice's poetry. 

THE SINNER'S PRAYER FOR SALVATION. 

I am a wanderer from God, 

Always inclined to go astray ; 
Fearless of his uplifted rod, 

Spurning the crown of endless day. 

"When shall my stubborn heart relent, 
And feci its wicked reign no more ? 

When shall my dying soul repent, 

And on faith's cheering pinions soar ? 

I wander far away from Heaven, 

And love to seek earth's vain delight; 

The word of life my Lord has given 
Meets no approval in my sight. 

Dear Savior, let thy spirit fall. 

And cause my stony heart to sigh ; 

Break down sin's separating wall, 
And let me find salvation nigh. 

Methinks my heart begins to feel ; — 
My soul desires God's love to know;— 

My stubborn spirit, once like steel. 
Bewails, and sheds her tears of woe. 

Father, now let thy grace appear, 
Through Jesus wash my guilt away; 

And my immortal soul shall steer 
To mansions of eternal day. 

O, take me from the road to hell, 
And lead me to thy courts above, 

That I may in thy kingdom dwell, 
And feel the presence of thy love. 

Then shall my spirit be at rest ; 

By blood divine from sin made free; 
Then shall I mingle with the blest. 

That gather fruit from Life's fair Tree. 



rice's poetry. 285 

ATHEISM CONFUTED. 

« The fool hath said in his heart there is no God.'» 

No God ! no God ! the Skeptic cries, 
No plastic Sire enthroned above; 

No hand that spread the vaulted skies, 
No Potentate mankind to love. 

This earth by chance from chaos rose 
When first she made a wond'rous birth; 

Her power creative did compose 

The glorious workmanship of earth. 

By chance we see both man and beast 
Pursue their course o'er hill and dale; 

The grey-eyed fish on fish to feast, 

And swift-winged birds the heavens sail. 

Stop, Atheist, stop, thy faith is vain ! 

Thy treason dares the Father's Son; 
A God shall on his throne remain, 

And justice speak his will be done. 

The starry worlds efface thy plan, 

And all creation drop a tear. 
And mourn to think the soul of man 

Is bound in unbelief to steer. 

Still more than this, the final sigh 

Of God the Savior on the cross, 
Gives notice that thy soul must die. 

If thou dost count that sigh but dross. 

The heathen Sage put forth his cries, 
When darkness over Salem spread, 

" Truly the God of nature dies:" 
Yet thy proud heart by sin is dead. 

Read in the book of nature, read 
Thy Judge exalted on his throne ; 

Make peace with him in time of need, 
And all his glory thou shah own. 



286 rice's poetry. 

Why play the fool in life's short hour, 
With darts of envy sting thy soul? 

Why spurn from thee the Savior's povi^er, 
Which can thy faithless heart control ? 

No God ! no God ! cease to throw 
This arrow dipt in blackest dye, 

Which spreads damnation here below. 
And binds the soul where demons sigh. 

The light'ning chains that rend the skies, 

The thunder with terrific roar, 
And starry worlds with sparkling eyes 

Combine their Maker to adore. 

Vesuvius with gushing fire, 

The sun that gilds this opaque ball, 

And man inspired with vast desire 
Declare a God rules over all. 

The waters of the mighty deep, 

The foaming surge and crested wave. 

And beasts that o'er the forests leap 
Proclaim a God ! a God to save. 

But brighter proof to man is given 
Than all we read in nature's book, 

'Tis Gospel light which came from Heaven 
When God the Jewish Temple shook. 

What voice was that, which burst the grave, 
Where death had bound the sacred dust? 

*Twas His. whose pow'r alone can save 
All men committed to his trust. 

What name was that, which devils fear. 
By which they from the maniac fled ? 

'Twas His, who brought redemption near, — 
Whose trump shall wake the sleeping dead. 

All hail ! let earth's vast legions cry, 
In honor to this living God ! 



rice's poetry. 287 

Let Infidels to Jesus fly 

And save the scourges of his rod. 

Then shall they feel his saving grace, 
And know the virtue of his blood; 

By faith behold his smiling face, 
And rise above sin's raging flood. 



SPURN NOT THE SINNER. • 

Spurn not the Sinner ! in whose heart 

The dregs of poison dwell, 
Although he from God's law depart, 

And bends his course to hell. 

O, scorn him not ! but spare his soul, 

Unless thy piercing eye 
Survey like his, whose hands control 

Revolving worlds on high. 

His road is dark ! it leads to death I 

His feet are stained with sin ; 
He spreads contagion with his breath, 

And sees no Heaven to win. 

Yet spurn him not ! for if thy heart 

Is free from all her stain, 
Thy Savior did this gift impart 

When he for sin was slain. 

Let tears of grief for sinners fall, — 

Invite them home to God, 
That they may scale Mount Zion's wall. 

And shun Jehovah's rod. 

Impart thy love ! their souls were bought 

With richer love than thine, 
When Christ the groans of Calvary sought, 

And gave his life divine. 



288 rice's poetry. 

If tho« art free, 'tis mercy's voice 
That spoke thy sins forgiven ; 

Then urge the sinner's better choice, 
To take a seat in Heaven. 

In words of kindness to him tell, 

To shun the fatal place, 
Where wicked men in darkness dwell 

To sin with high disgrace. 



" CHARITY." 

Though I with tongues of angels speak, 

And prophecy inspire my soul ; 
If void of Charity I 'm weak ; — 

No saving grace my powers control. 

Though my strong faith would mountains move, 
And rivers from their fountains dry, 

All this would not my sins remove, 
Nor make me meet for God on high. 

Though I impart my flesh to burn. 
And give my goods to feed the poor; 

From all these gifts I cannot learn 
My soul's salvation to secure. 

Love ! the bright gem in Heaven born ! 

Prepares the soul for life to come; 
Leaves not the sufferer forlorn, 

But bears rich mercy to his home. 

Love ! long endures the scoffer's voice, 
And \yeeps to view the fallen host ; 

It claims for man a better choice 

Than all the powers of hell can boast. 

Love ! casts her anchor in the veil. 
And braves the storm of dying strife; 

It fears no dangers which assail 
The passage to eternal life. 



rice's poetry. 28£ 

Love ! broke the fetters of the grave, 
And made the Tyrant Death depart ; 

It felt the curse lost man to save, 

And changed the motion of his heart. 

Love! is strong faith's undying fruits; 

It soars Mount Zion's holy hill : 
It claims the best of all pursuits, 

And sinks in God's most perfect will. 



THE CHRISTIAN PILGRIM. 

By faith I see the Pilgrim stranger 
Descend the steeps of Jordan's vale; 

He braves his way fearless of danger, 
Though all the hosts of hell assail. 

The lion and his whelps are roaring 
To put to flight the volunteer, 

Yei high the crimsoned flag is soaring, 
Directing him which way to steer. 

His unseen guide is God the Savior, 
Who bids his rising fears depart ; 

Through faith in Him he shall find favor, 
To bind and heal his stricken heart. 

Behold him. verging to the river. 

Where chilly waters float the stream ; 

As he descends, the bount'ous Giver 
Inspires him with exulting beam. 

Beyond the waves I see him rising. 
Bedecked with robes of spotless white; 

On wings of faith, in flight surprising, 
He soars angelic worlds of light. 

No more he feels the waves of Jordan 
Congeal his vital stream of life ; 

The Savior's seal of richest pardon 
Bears him above his dying strife. 



25 



290 rice's poetry. 

His sighs and groans have passed forever! 

His streaming eyes no longer weep ! 
His chords of love no more shall sever; 

Nor fear deep Jordan's pulseless sleep. 

In Zion's ship he sails the ocean, 

With breezes of eternal joy ; 
And fears no more the waves' commotion 

Since Christ the billows can destroy. 



THE TEMPERANCE STRAIN. 

All nature swell the Temp'rance Strain I 
Bear it ye winds along the sky ! 

Ye mountains high, and ev'ry plain, 
And fountains deep, respond the cry. 

Ye oceans, chant the joyful sound, 
By roaring waves and crested foam ; 

Waft it ye winds where man is found, 
And destined by his God to roam. 

O, catch the Strain ye wood-land groves I 
Ye lofty pines your branches bend ! 

Ye birds that in the heavens rove. 
Your chanting songs of beauty lend. 

Sweet vision to the dreamer come, 
Give lustre to his stricken soul, 

That when he visits wife and home, 
It may his utmost power control. 

Bear it ye steamers far away ; — 

On trembling wires Hke light'ning fly; 

' Till darkness shall be turned to day, 
And alcohol shall bleed and die. 

Repeat the Strain from shore to shore, 
That man's exemption draweth near; 

The drunkard's jrod shall reign no more; 
His wife and child no longer fear. 



rice's poetry. 291 

Ye angels of the Father's Son, 

Chant it above in lofty strains, 
Until mankind by grace are won, 

And God restore lost Eden's plains. 



THE DYING SON'S PETITION. 

" Stay, father stay !" the night is dark, — 
Leave not thy child alone to die ; 

For soon I feel my vital spark 
Must to its kindred mansion fly. 

" Stay, father stay !" before the dawn 
Of morning light, my soul may flee ; 

And how can I while thou art gone, 
Depart thy face no more to see. 

*' Stay, father stay !" my mother 's dead, 
And we on earth are left alone : 

If thou depart, her soul which bled, 
Will from its star-lit region mourn. 

" Stay, father stay !" this night, O leave 
The frantic bowl, which makes me weep ;- 

That bowl my mother's shroud did weave, 
And drives me to a pulseless sleep. 

** Stay, father stay !" for how can I 
In midnight take my last farewell, 

And have no earthly kindred by, 

While Jordan's waves around me swell. 

" Stay, father stay !" once more I cry, 
Nor count the task too great for thee ; 

For thy dear Son must shortly die ! — 
Why not his dying anguish see? 

" Stay, father stay !" nor make the tide 
Of frantic madness seize thy brain ; 

Let Temp'rance be thy future guide, 
And peace shall in thy bosom reign. 



*292 rice's poetry, 

*' Stay, father stay !" that when thy Son 
Shall upward take his ransomed flight, 

The boon which God the Savior won 
May be thy crown in worlds of light. 



ACROSTIC ON JOHN MILTON. 

J...i:hovah's love inspired his brilliant mind 
0...n wings poetic starry worlds to soar; 

H...eaven was the feast his spirit sought to find ; 
N...or could this earth confine his giant lore. 

M...y soul awake! let Milton's raptured song 
I...nspire thee with the glory of his theme ! 

L...ook to his harp, and like the angel throng 

T...urn to that Fount which made his spirit beam. 

0...n Adam's fall his plaintive accents fell; 

N...or could Lost Paradise confine his soul ; 
He often soared where golden seraphs dwell, 

And viewed the stream where chrystal waters roll. 



SONG OF THE REDEEMED. 

Enraptured with fire, that tuneth the lyre, 
Each Christian exclaims in his flight, 

Our spirits shall stand, with the angelic band, 
And worship our God with delight. 

All that are made free, God's glory to see, 
We hail them to join in the song 

Of redeeming love, that echoes above, 
By all the bright angelic throng. 

Endowed with a flight, as cherubs of light, 
We '11 view the new city on high ; 

And sail round the tree, of great majesty 
In beauties that never can die. 



rice's poetry. 293 



PRAYER IN AFFLICTION. 

Great God ! all glory to thy name, 
By men and angels shall be given ; 

Thy boundless love is still the same 
To Adam's race, and saints in Heaven. 

When man was lost thy Son appeared, 
Performed the mission of a God ; 

By groans and death salvation reared, 
And bore for us his Father's rod. 

When in the chains of deep despair, 
My heart was burthened with her load ; 

I felt the sword of justice there, 

While tears of grief like rivers flowed. 

Prayer burst the chains that bound my soul, 
And drove my load of guilt away; 

Prayer did my bleeding heart control. 
And gave me hope of endless day. 

When deep in poverty I mourned, 
The Lord beheld my tears and grief; 

He heard my wailings as I groaned, 
And sent from Heaven some kind relief. 

When I must heave my final sigh, 
And soul and body sunder wide; 

O God, receive me up on high, 
To sail on Heaven's richest tide. 

There may my spirit be at rest. 

Where tears shall never cloud the eye; 

There may I mingle with the blest, 
In joys supreme that never die. 



THE WATERS OF SALVATION. 

Ho ! ev'ry one that thirsts draw nigh ! 
Our Lord invites mankind to live ; 



^2) 



294 rice's poetry. 

The Waters of Salvation buy, 

While Jesus will these waters give. 

Come to the Rock of ages, come ! 

Buy wine and milk, — rich grace receive; 
Return ye wand'ring sinners home, 

God's mercy will your souls relieve. 

See from the Savior rivers flow. 

For you in healing streams they roll ; 

No price you '11 give, — to Jesus go, 
He saves the sin-sick burdened soul. 

He claims no money from your hands, 
Leave all your stores of wealth behind ; 

Ye poor and wretched, sinful bands, 
Salvation in your Savior find. 

These Waters quench the soul's desire, 
And wash the stains of guilt away ; 

Inflame the heart with heavenly fire, 
And fill it with eternal day. 

This moment come, and slake your thirst ; — 
To morrow you may never see ! 

Your mortal vessels soon must burst ! 
Then let these Waters make you free. 



LOVE SAVES THE SINNER. 

Confined in chains of deep despair, 
The sinner shakes with fear ; 

No arm his pond'rous load to bear, 
No light his cell to cheer. 

His wretched state no tongue can tell, 
No painter cast the shade ; 

His flesh must with the reptiles dwell, 
His soul with demons fade. 

In pity moved the Son of God, 
He saw the sinner's grief; 



rice's poetry. 296 

For him the steeps of Calv'ry trod, 
And sent his soul relief. 

Down from his everlasting throne, 

With saving grace He flew ; 
And died that he might sin atone. 

And man's lost soul renew. 

for this Love let all mankind 

Their grateful songs repeat ; 
And through the blood of Jesus find 

Salvation made complete. 

Angels tune all your harps of gold, 

This matchless Love to tell ; 
Through Heav'n and earth its pow'r unfold. 

Which saves the soul from hell. 

Ye sons of light, this Love proclaim 

To all the fallen race ; 
The honor of your Savior's name, 

His free and sovereign grace. 



"IN GOD IS MY SALVATION." 

Father ! thy goodness I confess, 

Thou art the source of life and grace ; 

By prayer I will thy throne address, 
And view with joy thy smiling face. 

Thy arm spread out the vaulted skies, 
Thy voice earth's deep foundation lay ; 

From Thee mankind by millions rise, 
Then gasp in death, and pass away. 

Thy calming hand expels my fear. 
As I bend o'er the gaping tomb ; 

And wipes away each falling tear. 
While verging to my final doom. 

But if thy chast'ning rod withdraw. 
Thy mercy health again restore, 



296 rice's poetry. 

Help me to keep thy sacred law, 
And thy Ahnighty name adore. 

Let sin no more my bliss destroy, 

While passing down life's rapid stream ; 

But emblems of celestial joy 
In my immortal spirit beam. 

Then shall my anchor be secure 
Against the ills of dying strife ; 

Thy grace constrain me to ensure 
My passage to eternal life. 

Sustained by Thee, I '11 pass the vale, 
And bid this fading world farewell ; 

Will in the ship of Zion sail, 

And rise above the waves of hell. 



THE BEGGAR'S LAMENTATION. 

Show pity Lord, my fate deplore. 
For I am feeble, poor and faint ; 

I often beg from door to door, 

And wet with tears my sad complaint. 

My little ones cry out for bread ; — 

For want of health they mourn and weep ; 

let them from thy hand be fed. 
And love thy sacred law to keep. 

My wife, myself, and children all, 
In tattered raiment, — thinly clad, 

Do on thy waiting servants call 

For bread to make our spirits glad. 

They often lend their helping hand, 
To cheer our sad and fainting hearts; 

But we had rather till the land, 
To feed that life, thy love imparts. 

Lord give us health, to sweat and toil, 
And we shall food and raiment gain; 



RICE S POETRY. 297 

We 'd sooner work the roughest soil, 
Than feel disease and beg in pain. 

My God, we are deformed and weak; — 
Our bodies seeni by Satan bound ; 

Let thy free grace salvation speak, 
For mercy in thy name is found. 

But if we must our fate bewail, 

And feel 'till death our pond'rous load ! 

May we through faith outride the gale, 
And gain at last thy blest abode. 

Then shall disease and death no more 
Disturb our spirits' peace within ; 

But harps of gold on Zion's shore, 
Shall tell our freedom from all sin. 



TIME AND IMMORTALITY. 

My moments on Time's fleeting pinions fly, 
Which soon will seasons of advice deny; — 
The day of grace soon terminates with all, 
Who by old Adam mourn their fatal fall. 

Then rise my soul above this opaque land, 
Be active in the duties of thy hand ; 
Shake off the fear that stills the fatal cry, 
Or news of peace to sinners doomed to die. 

Teach me O Wisdom, all my heart should know, 
Of things in Heaven, or things of earth below; 
And when I 'm taught direct my wand'ring feet, 
From all excursions to a heav'nly seat. 

And when my days on earth shall be no more, 
May my winged spirit land on Canaan's shore , 
Bid pain farewell, and join with angels blest. 
To worship God, and find eternal rest. 

Then shall my cares of life be done away. 
My soul be blest with God's immortal ray; 



rice's poetry. 

Then shall the stream that slakes the thirsty heart, 
To my poor spirit healing grace impart. 

Glory to God, my tongue begins to cry ! 
Glory to Him, who brought salvation nigh ! 
All heaven rejoice to shout the Savior's name, 
And feel the rapture of his holy flame. 

The pleasures of those shining courts above, 
Where all is beauty and ambrosial love. 
No man can tell — no human mind explore. 
Nor all the cherubs of ano^elic lore. 



THE BETTER CHOICE. 

How short is life ! how soon 't is gone ! 

A breath — a gasp, and all is o'er, 
The fainting heart, oft left forlorn. 

Ere long shall rest, to beat no more. 

The young and old, alike must feel 
The scourges of death's iron rod ; 

His arm shall make the strongest kneel, 
And kiss the dust the Serpent trod. 

Then what of all earth's glitt'ring toys. 
Though decked with ev'ry golden hue ? 

Why should the heart beat high for joys, 
Which God declares shall pierce it through ? 

Withdraw my soul, and grasp no more 
The fading gems this earth can give ; 

But seek the fruit of Zion's shore. 
And learn for angel's crowns to live. 

And when the scenes of life are past. 
When earth's vain glory droops to die, 

Then thou sha'.t gain a sweet repast, — 
No more to feel the dying sigh. 



RICE S POETRY. 299 

This, is the Lord's inviting voice, 
This, the rich purchase of his blood. 

That all should make the Better Cnoice, 
And rise above sin's raging flood. 

Then why delay to choose this crown, 
Far brought by Jesus from the skies ? 

For it his life he once laid down ! 
For it from Joseph's tomb did rise. 

All hail this richest boon of love ! 

This life eternal bought for man ! 
"Which stamps the soul for Heav'n above, 

And saves it from lost ano-els' ban. 



THE BATTLE FIELD. 

What doleful sound is this that strikes my ear? 
Wars are proclaimed and rumors do appear; — 
Abaddon's kingdom still pursues to reign. 
And direful slaughter stains the battle plain. 

Nations 'gainst nations with their falchions rise, 
And make a sanguine flood beneath the skies ! 
Legions of warriors in dread gloom expire, 
And spurn the mercy of iheir plastic Sire. 

' Tis true the hero gains a martial name, 
Ascends the summit of a warrior's fame; 
But ah ! how soon his blood-bought /az/ze retires, 
His glory buried by the judgment fires. 

What horror strikes the ear where cannon roar, 
And vile pollution causes blood to pour ? 
Brother against brother indignant rise ; 
In dreamless slumber close each other's eyes. 

Deep was that wail when life's last embers died ; 
Sad was that heart which spurned the Crucified j 
Short were those years that bought eternal pain. 
And bound the spirit where lost demons reign. 



300 rice's poetry. 

tell it not, that man can thus rejoice ; 
By slaughter make eternal death his choice ; 
For earth's vain glory lose his blood-bought soul, 
Where waves of fire like burning mountains roll. 

When shall the Prince of peace pervade the earth, 
And give unto her an exalted birth ? 
The lamb unite and with the lion play, 
All men behold the long predicted day ? 

Then shall the earth in smiling beauty rise. 
The war-cry cease, and peace descend the skies ; 
Shall o'er the world her cheering zephyrs blow, 
Which rrake all men a Paradise to know. 



THE SABBATH SCHOOL. 

Go, little ones, and learn the way 
Of Jesus' truth, and grace ; 

Go to the Sabbath School to-day, 
And seek your Savior's face. 

Before his Father's throne he waits, 
And pleads your case in love. 

Invites you through celestial gates 
To angels' courts above. 

Go, little ones, in faith draw near, 
And hear God's truth revealed; 

This day salvation may appear, 
Your pardon may be sealed. 

Learn from the treasures of his word, 
To love, to watch, and pray ; 

By faith approach your risen Lord, 
And walk the shining way. 

From acorns tow'ring oaks shall grow. 

From infants giants rise ; 
These youthful buds shall overthrow 

The wicked by surprise. 



TIICE^S POETRY. 301 

These feeble minds through God shall shine, 

To drive away our g-loom ; 
Though hell and infidels co ribine, 

We read their final doom. 

Let scholars, and their teachers all 

The Gospel course pursue, 
' Till man shall rise above the fall, 

And own the Bible true. 

And when the battle here shall end, 

And Satan rage no more. 
With angels they shall greet their Friend 

On Canaan's peaceful shore. 



CAUTION TO THE READER. 

Reader, if I 've expressed what is not true. 
Or penned that doctrine, which in Gospel view 
Is proved a fiction, or destructive plan, 
Believe it not, for it was wrote by man. 

But if you should my composition find 
Sanctioned by truth of an exalted kind ; 
That trnth^ which followed inspiration's pen; 
Reject it not, but promulgate, amen. 

When life no longer in these lamps shall burn, 
And living spirits to their God return, 
May all my Readers traverse on the shore, 
Where lox>e shall reign, and death be known no more. 



ANGELS BEAR ME HOME. 

Angels break my galling fetters, 
Bear me to a brighter sphere ; 

Let me go where Christ's dominion 
Wipes away each falling tear. 



26 



o02 rice's poetry. 

True this world has friends to bless me 
With their gifts of fondest love; 

But the songs of angels beckon 
Me to fairer worlds above. 

Let me soar be3'ond these waters, 
Marred by sin's destructive wavej^ 

Mountain surges dark and dreary, 
Prove no barque is sure to save. 

Short indeed are earth's vain flowers ; 

Soon their glories pass away ; — 
Angels bear me to those mansions, 

Shining with celestial day. 

Bear me Home, ye swift winged seraphs, 
Jesus' blood has made me free ! 

Bear me where my soul shall ever 
In God's holy presence be. 

Waft me through death's gate to Heaven, 

Let me to my Jesus fly ; 
Slake my thirst on crystal waters, 

Feast where spirits never die. 

Bear me Home ! for sounds seraphic 
Call me to their native shore ! 

' Tis the friendly voice of cherubs 
On swift pinions flying o'er! 

Hark ! I hear them now descending ; 

Lo ! they bear my soul away, 
Where the raging waves of Jordan 

Shall be lost for endless day .' 



WHAT MAN WAS THAT ? 

What Man was that divinely bright, 

To laugh was never seen ? 
His visage fair, — bedecked with light ;— ' 

From sin his hands were clean ? 



303 



His beard was fork'd upon his chin, 
His eyes were quick and gray; 

His face was spotless, and within 
His heart a treasure lay. 

What Man was that, whose mouth and nose 

So perfectly were made, 
No one their beauty could disclose, — 

No painter cast the shade ? 

His cheeks were spotless, tinged with red, 

His hair in ringlets fell : 
He healed the sick, and raised the dead 

When he on earth did dwell. 

What man was that, whose hands and arms 

In beauty were arrayed ? 
What voice, inspired with unknown charms, 

When he that voice displayed ? 

The color of his waving hair 

Was like the filbert ripe ; 
And all his personage most fair 

Surpassing every type. 

What Man was that ? let angels tell 

" It was the King of kings," 
Who left the shining courts to dwell 

Where sin the sinner stings. 

He broke the strongest bars of death, 

And made the pris'ner free , 
When he for sin gave up his breath 

Upon the cursed tree. 

He died! but triumphed o'er the gravel 

He burst the tyrant's chain, 
That he the fallen soul might save 

From hell's eternal reign. 



304 rice's poetry. 



THE WARRIOR'S DEATH. 

Inspired by War's destructive rage, 
The soldier puts on sword and shield ; 

Leaves wife and children to engage 
The carnage of the battle field. 

His spirit lit by fires of hell, 

Calls vhim to leave his native home ; 

The flames of War his bosotn swell, 
And urge his frantic mind to roam. 

Thoughtless he rushes to the place 
Where lances play and bullets fly; 

Desires his footsteps to retrace ; 
But if he leaves his post must die. 

Urged on by martial law to face 
His foes upon the field of death. 

He marches on with speedy pace, 

' Till forced at once to yield his breath. 

The cannon's mighty thunder spoke, 
The death-ball took its mortal flight j 

His cistern to its centre broke ; 
His martial glory sunk in night. 

Why mourns the child ? why fall those tears * 

The father like a fool is lost ! 
In frantic madness disappears. 

And on the waves of hell is tost. 

Nor he alone ; but all who take 
The sword in hand shall by it fall ; 

Shall mourn in Hades burning lake, 
And groan beneath her fun'ral pall. 

Lend, lend your ear ye sons of War, 
Before you drink the spirit's wail; 

Be guided by the morning Star, 
And in the ship of Zion sail. 



RICE S POETRY. 3l/f5 

And when your banner floats the sky, 
Let Peace in gold be written there, 

And He who made the worlds on high 
Shall land yowv souls beyond despair. 



THE CROWNS OF HEAVEN. 

Crowns of glory, raiment white, 

Palms of life's eternal day, 
Ever deck the saints of light, 

Who on harps of angels play. 

Lo the victors bring their palms 
To the Tree of Life on high, 

And declare in grateful psalms 
' Jesus for our souls did die." 

Kings their mortal crowns resign, 
And proclaim on harps of gold, 

"Take the kingdom Lord, 'tis thine;"- 
Half thy glory can't be told. 

Priests around the altar stand. 

Clothed in garments white as snow 

Join with angels heart and hand. 
Crying, " Jesus made us so." 

These are they who dwelt on earth, 
Bore the stamp of Adam's race ; 

Bound in pain and sin by birth ; 
But were freed from all by grace. 

These were pilgrims here like us, 
Subject to the pangs of death ! 

May we be translated thus, 

When we vield our latest breath. 



'2S 



306 kick's poetry. 



COMFORT IN DEATH. 

When sore diseases shake the frame, 
Each pleasure takes its flight ; 

The joys of earth are hut a dream, 
And day is turned to night. 

The grisly tyrant strikes the blow. 

And chills the stream of life ; 
While nature faints beneath her load 

Of pain and dying strife. 

The mortal frame must turn to dust, 

And fill the dreary grave ; 
Yet the undying soul may rest 

Throuf^h orrace made free to save. 

The man that looks o'er Jordan's stream, 

His burden casts on God ; 
When heart and strength in him shall fail. 

Will kiss his Father's rod. 

Death shall no more his soul alarm, 

For Jesus gives him sight ; 
And angels of the morning Star 

Bear him to worlds of light. 

His harp is tuned in highest strains, 

His songs in rapture swell; 
His treasure is in Heaven born 

Where all his brethren dwell. 



THE POWER OF GOD. 

Father ! thou sittest on thy throne .' 
No man shall see thy face and live ; 

Thou art the Lord, and God alone ! 
No power but thine can being give. 



rice's poetry. 307 

Thy fingers doth all worlds control, 
Thy potent arm sustains them all; 

Thy name is known from pole to pole, 
Where'er thy hands of mercy fall. 

All nature hears thy mighty voice, 
Obsequious moves at thy command; 

The upper hosts in Thee rejoice, 
And worship in their spirit land. 

Thou didst the elements create, 

The starry lamps were made by Thee ; 

Thy plastic arm sealed Adam's fate 
When he partook the fatal tree. 

Thy power is great ! no eye can scan 
The works of thy creation round ; 

No being solve thy mighty plan, 

By which unnumbered worlds abound. 

When earth shall fo her centre quake, 
And stars like leaves of autumn fall, 

Thou wilt the guilty spirit shake. 
The righteous save in Zion's wall. 

My soul adore this mighty One, 
Who first bespoke creation's birth ! 

O, let his will in thee be done. 
And soar above this fadinof earth. 



GOD WORTHY OF PRAISE. 

To God all Praise belongs. 
His mercy crowns our songs, 
He is the source of all our joy. 
His worthy name our songs employ. 

The garden and the field, 
And all the vineyards' yield, 



308 rice's poetky. 

With oil ihe olive trees bestow, 
To us God's loving kindness show. 

The herds that graze the hills, 

The waters of the rills, 
And clouds that send reviving rain, 
Call for our heart's thanksgiving strain. 

The ox the corn and swine. 
The pear and fruitful vine, 
And all the gifts that crown our land, 
Show mercy from our Father's hand. 

His good in gone by years. 
His shield in time of fears ; 
And when the hour of sickness prest, 
His kindness stilled our aching breast. 

To God our praise shall flow, 
Who does such gifts bestow; 
And when from time our souls shall fly 
On angels' harps we '11 praise on high. 



TERRORS OF DEATH. 

O, why should Christians fear to die, 
And cross the raging flood ? 

Death is the gate that leads on high 
Through faith in Jesus' blood. 

The mortal pain, the dying strife 
Impress our souls with fear; 

Though ills and toil beset our life, 
We dread the spoiler near. 

But if our Lord will meet us there 
We '11 stretch our spirit wing. 

To pass Death's gate, nor fear to bear 
The viper's mortal sting. 



rice's poetry. 309 

Jesus surrounds the bed of Death 

By his sustaining grace, 
So when we yield our latest breath 

We see his smiling face. 

His hands shall waft us o'er the tomb, 

And plant us near his throne ; 
Why then lament our mortal doom, 

And fear our final groan ? 



THE MENTAL POWERS OF MAN. 

What vast improvements man has made ^ 

How great his mental skill ? 
Mysterious things, — long in the shade, 

Obey his giant will. 

He brings the star-lit regions near. 
And counts their orbs of light ; 

And as they to his sight appear, 
Computes their rapid flight. 

The ships that plough the mighty deep, 

Propelled by steam alone ; 
While they their useful courses keep, 

His deep invention own. 

The cars drove on by rapid speed. 

To traffic far and near ; 
Have been prepared in time of need 

By man, the world to cheer. 

The trembling wires have just been strung, 

To send our news away ; 
For which ten thousand voices rung. 

And hailed the joyful day. 

The golden mines by man explored, 

To 'vhich all nations run, 
Vast speculations shall afford, 

Which dazzle like the sun. 



310 rice's poetry. 

What next in course shall heave in view, 

My vision cannot tell ; 
If I hut knew, I would pursue 

The cheerful song to swell. 

For all these gifts, to God belongs 

Our undivided praise; 
He is the Author of our songs, 

By his effulgent rays. 



PRAYER. 

Prayer is the burden of the soul, 

The motion of the breast ; 
That thirst no mortal can control, 

Unless by God represt. 

Prayer is the heart's sincere desire, 

The bitter tears that fall ; 
The hidden and prevailing fire ; — 

A wish on God to call. 

Prayer is the Christian's living breath, 

His hope of sins forgiven ; 
His triumph in the hour of death, 

His passport into Heaven. 

Prayer is the sinner's weeping cry. 

When he returns to God ; 
It stamps his soul for crowns on high, 

And breaks his Father's rod. 

Prayer is the smallest mode of speech, 

That infant lips can tell ; 
Empowers the fallen soul to reach 

The courts where angels dwell. 

In Prayer all Christians do combine, 
Their bonds of faith are one; 

In Heaven they all expect to shine 
Throuo-h God's eternal Son. 



rice's poetry. 311 

Nor does the Christian pray alone ; 

Our Savior pleads on higii, 
Before his Father's shining throne, 

That man may never die. 

Angels rejoice, when sinners pray 

In Jesus' worthy name ; 
To Heaven they bear the news away 

In songs of holy flame. 

O Thou, who art the Way to God ! 

The One that answers Prayer; 
Help us to walk where thou hast trod, 

And break the fowler's snare. 

And when we shall no longer press 

Thy mercy seat below, 
May we thy shining throne address. 

Where tears shall never flow. 



WHAT IS HELL ? 

O what is Hell ? the raging fires 
Of hostile feelings in the breast, 

The burning thirst, the warm desires 
To drive away all peace and rest. 

what is Hell ? it is the ills 

That drown the happiness of life. 

And in man's peaceful breast distil 
The mortal dregs of dying strife. 

O what is Hell ? the orphan's groans, 
The widows' torn and fainting hearts, 

The beggar that in want bemoans, 
The patient's pain, disease imparts. 

O what is Hell ? let truth unfold. 
It is the warrior's fatal smart ; 

His deepest torments can't be told. 
When stricken by the mortal dart. 



312 rice's poetry. 

pain, 
All bloodshed, and approaching death; 
' Tis murder for intent of gain. 
And fear of the expiring breath. 

O what is Hell ? let angels tell, 

Who fell from Heaven to bind their chains; 

" It is the dirge that demons swell 
While God's eternal justice reigns." 

what is Hell ? lo Jesus' blood 
Was spilt upon the cursed tree, 

To save us from sin's raging flood, 

And from Hell's torments make us free. . 



CHRISTIAN FRIENDSHIP. 

Let spite and rage depart, 

No more the church o'erspread. 

Since " bond and free" are one in heart 
Through Christ their living Head. 

The Jew and Gentile band, 

In mutual love abound ; 
Heirs to the same celestial land, 

With the same blessings crowned. 

Let envy black as hell, 

Be driven far away ; 
In love the sons of God must dwell. 

If God they would obey. 

Then shall the church below. 

Resemble that above, 
Where living waters ever flow, 

And ev'ry heart is love. 



DARKNESS SHROUDS JERUSALEM. 

Night shrouds the land where Jesus spoke, 
No star the shepherds cheer ; 



rice's poetry. 313 

There, sin with its oppressive yoke 
Brings death eternal near. 

No Gospel news sent from above, 

On angels' pinions bore, 
Cheers man with God's redeeming love. 

As in the days of yore. 

Ye sons of earth from sin made free, 

Who feel the proiiilse sure, 
Toil hard until your eyes shall see 

Jerusalem secure. 

Ye heralds of the Father's Son, 

Fast bear God's truth away, 
'Till Salem's land by grace is won, 

Her sons to Jesus pray. 

Send forth that renovating light, 

Which saves the soul from hell; 
So when the Jew shall take his flight 

He may Avith Jesus dwell. 

Then shall the grace of God abound, 

Which makes the Gentile free ; 
The hostile Jew in Christ be found, 

And all his glory see. 



CHILDREN SHOULD LOVE EACH OTHER, 

Let dogs delight to rage and bite 

And prove their nature true ; 
Let lions growl and panthers fight. 

And tigers blood pursue. 

But children God commands to tread 

The way of joy and peace; 
That when they join the silent dead, 

He may their souls release. 



27 



314 rice's poetry. 

Peace should in all their actions run, 
And ev'ry word be calm; 

They should be like the virgin's Son, 
Who did his mother charm. 

His soul was harmless as the dove, 
That wings the ether sky ; 

And as he grew, increased in Love 
To man, and God on high. 

He reigns above, the Lord of all ; 

And from his dazz'ling throne. 
He listens to his children's call. 

And stamps them for his own. 



FAITH IS OUR GUIDE. 

Inspired by Faith of joys above, 

We walk through deserts here below. 

Confiding in our Savior's love, 
We feel his living waters flow. 

Our Faith supplies the want of sight. 
And opens wide the pearl}-- gate ; 

She looks to God with all her might, 
And i:oars above lost angels' fate. 

By Faith we tread this barren soil, 

In prospect of eternal joys ; 
Though lions roar, in hope we toil, 

To rise above earth's fading toys. 

Let death and dangers fill the way, 
And all the hosts of hell arise ; 

Yet in the strength of Faith we pray, 
And on her wings ascend the skies. 

So Abra'm, by his God's command, 
Left his ov/n house, a crown to gain; 

By Faith he viewed the promised land, 
Where all tiie saints with Jesus reign 



RICE S POETRY. 315 

"JESUS." 

Jesus, how sweet thy name resounds 

To my poor dying ear ; 
It dries my tears, and heals my wounds, 

And takes away my fear. 

It sets the weeping spirit free, 

And gives the mourner rest; 
It makes each heart in love agree, 

And calms the raging breast. 

By Him my prayer is heard of God, 

He sends his blessing down ; 
Withdraws from me his Father's rod, 

And saves me for a crown. 

While life shall last I will proclaim 

His love in ev'ry breath ; 
Then may his all-prevailing name 

Sustam my soul in death. 

Jesus, let me ever feel 

Thy Spirit's power within ; 
My heart be full of holy zeal, 

And free from ev'ry sin. 

And when I'm called to bid farewell 

To all things here below, 
Lord Jesus, take me home to dwell, 

Where tears shall never flow. 

MY BIRTH DAY. 

My years pass by ! in haste I go, 

While down life's rapid stream I ride ; 

All things are fleeting here below. 

And sink beneath death's rolling tide. 

My years pass by ! the stream of time 

Conveys me through earth's chequered scene ', 

Her cold and heat, and varied clime. 

With joys and woes, I 've felt and seen. 



316 rice's poetry. 

■ 
My years pass by ! may I beware 

Of that design, for which they roll ; 
Through blood divine, secure a share 
Of grace, which saves the dying soul. 

My years pass by ! and as they pass, 
O, may they waft me to the shore, 

Which lies beyond the sea of glass, 

Where pain and death arc felt no more. 

My years pass by ! let my last 
Convey me to my Savior's throne ; 

Where I may find a rich repast. 
And ever know, as I am known. 

My years pass by ! soon I shall feel, 
That all my toil and grief are fled ; 

My soul imbibe angelic weal. 
My body triumph o'er the dead. 



THE LORD'S PRAYER VERSIFIED. 

Our Father who in Heaven art, 

Most holy is thy name ; 
Let thy renewing kingdom come, 

Thy will our hearts inflame. 

Impart this day our daily bread, 

Our trespasses forgive; 
As we remit our neighbor's wrongs, 

To us thy favor give. 

From all temptation save our souls, 

From evil set us free ; 
Thy kin jdom is at thy command. 

May we that kingdom see. 

Forever is all glory thine. 
To Thee all pow'r belongs ; 

Thy vast dominion shall remain, 
And swell our grateful songs. 



p 



rice's poetry. 317 



THE CHRISTIAN'S FAREWELL. 

My time is come, and seraphs round me wait 
To take me to their glorious happy state, 
Where free from turmoil, death, and mortal pain, 
I shall with angels, and my Savior reign. 

Ye Christian partners of my heart adieu ! 
I can no longer stay on earth with you ; 
My Master calls me to his courts on high, 
Where saints redeemed with holy angels vie. 

But soon your sorrows in this world shall end, 
If you adopt the sinner's only Friend ; 
This life you '11 lose to gain a life on high, 
Where tears are lost, and Christians never sigh. 

There may we meet on that ambrosial plain, 
Where heav'nly raptures fill the broad domain ; 
Where cherubs pure, and blood-washed spirits meet, 
To worship Christ upon the judgment seat. 

SABBATH MORNING HYMN. 

When in the morning I awake, 

To God my pray'r shall rise ; 
My heart of flesh his name shall fear, 

And tears shall fill my eyes. 

Before his gracious throne above 

My Savior pleads for me ; 
Sends down the tokens of his grace. 

And sets my spirit free. 

Sinners in him take no delight. 
They never love his name ; — 

His justice drives them from his throne, 
To feed the burning flame. 

But to his house will I resort 

To plead his favor near; 
In love frequent his sacred courts, 

And worship in his fear. 



^27 



318 rice's poetry. 

O may his spirit be my guide 

While through this world I stray ; 

Make ev'ry path of duty plain, 
' Till I must pass away. 

And when I 'm called to bid farewell 

To sorrows here below ; 
May I in Jesus take my flight, 

Where tears shall never flow. 



THE DAY OF GRACE. 

Life is the time to turn from sin, 
And in the word of God believe ; 

The time renewing Grace to win. 
Which shall the dying soul relieve. 

Life is the day bestowed from Heaven 
For us to flee the pains of hell; 

The day of Grace most freely given, 
Whereby in glory we may dwell. 

But if this hour we do despise, 

God's word neglect, we sure shall die ; 

Then may we all through Grace be wise 
To walk the golden streets on high. 

If on this day of life depend, 

Our souls' immortal weal or woe ! 

Ah ! why should we our God oflend, 
And to eternal torments go ? 

Low in the grave where we must lie, 
No acts of pardon shall be given ; 

Our fate is sanctioned when we die, 
Our dwelling either hell or Heaven. 

Then let us all be wise to-day, 

And Heaven's eternal mansions gam, 

God's righteous will in love obey. 

Which saves the soul from endless pain. 



rice's poetry. 319 

THE GOLD OF CALIFORNIA. 

When from my slumber I awake, 

For gold I hear the raging cry ! 
From ocean to the distant lake, 

I see the frantic throng pass by. 

I asked the pilgrims whither bound ? 

" We 're on our journey round Cape Horn; 
For California's treasures found, 

We leave our land and stores of corn." 

'* Up Sacramento's golden stream, 
We shall abundant riches gain; — 

Our faith is no fictitious dream, — 
Ere long we shall the prize obtain." 

" We leave our wives and children all, 
From our fond parents we depart; 

In spite of friends obey the call, 

And cause to bleed each wounded heart." 

What mean these groans — these falling tears ? 

These sobs of grief — these hearts of woe ? 
These bosoms shook with rending fears, 

While friends to distant regions go ? 

This god of earth ! this love of Gold ! 

Will cause ten thousand hearts to bleed ! 
For it, all friendship shall be sold, 

And parting friends on husks shall feed. 

Suppose a few the prize obtain, — 

A smaller number back return, 
The loss will still excel the gain, 

As far as wisdom can discern. 

The boon of life surpasses Gold ; 

In search of which .shall dangers rise ; 
Whereby shall life for death be sold, 

Which proves the task to be unwise. 

The Indian tribes with cruel rage, 
All in their wild and savaofe state. 



320 rice's poetry. 

In hostile fury shall engage, 

To hasten white men's dying fate. 

While on the long and tedious way, 
Which leads to that far distant land, 

Diseases often seize their prey. 

And scourge with death the mourning bana 

Hunger shall raise the dismal cry, 

" ' Tis not for Gold, but food I faint ;" 

The beggar in his want shall die, 

For none shall hear his sad complaint. 

Parties by land, that sweat and toil 
From day to day their prize to find, 

Shall by their blood enrich the soil. 
When they in death each other bind. 

Pirates for Gold will hoist their sail, 
The blood of their frail victims spill . 

Like tigers they will "brave the gale, 
Until they do their coffers fill. 

When all these dangers heave in view, 

And many more I cannot tell, 
I think the best that we can do 

Is stay at home, and flee from hell. 

If fallen man as well would love 

The Gold of Heav'n, as Gold of earth, 

He might with angels soar above. 
And claim by grace a higher birth. 

Jerusalem remains on high. 

For all who wear the raiment white ;-^ 
No groan or tear ! no pain or sigh ! 

Shall mar the saints' supreme delight. 

Her streets are paved with richest Gold, 
Her walls with beauty decked around ; 

Her trees of life their fruit unfold, 

Her healing streams with grace abound. 



RICE'S POETRY. ^1 

How vain are all earth's treasures here, 

Compared with crowns through Jesus' blood ? 

Then may we on faith's pinions steer 
Our course above sin's raging flood. 



" WATCH AND PRAY." 

Ye sons of God be on your guard ; 

Ten thousand foes are gath'ring round ; 
And all your sins are pressing hard, 

To drive you from Immanuel's ground. 

As soldiers, learn to Watch and Pray, 
And never lay your armor down ; 

Renew your courage day by day, 
Until you wear an angel's crown. 

Don't think too soon, the battle o'er; 

For it must last while life endures : 
But labor hard to gain the shore ; 

Since work, through faith, your crown secures. 

Remember where your strength is found ; — 

Upon the arm of God rely : 
Sure vict'ry in his name is crowned ; — 

His valiant soldiers never die. 

Secured by his sustaining arm. 
You '11 triumph over ev'ry foe ; — 

No fiends of hell your souls alarm ; — 
You 're bound eternal life to go. 

And when the war shall have an end, 

Your spirits over Jordan pass ; 
With all the ransomed you shall blend, 

And rise above the sea of glass. 



THE BACKSLIDER'S SECRET PRAYER, 

My Savior let thy grace appear, 
And wash again my sins away; 



822 rice's poetry. 

Draw near my weeping heart, draw near, 
That I may learn to watch and pray. 

I feel my bleeding spirit torn, 

Because no saving grace is there; 

How long my Savior shall I mourn, 
In this secluded place of prayer ? 

Dear Lord, now let thy piercing eye 
Search out the windings of my heart ; 

And if my prayer is heard, draw nigh, 
And thy subduing grace impart. 

Oft have I shut the closet door ; — 

Been blest where forest trees abound : 

Appear in my poor heart once more, 
Thou chiefest of ten thousand found. 

Without thy aid my soul must faint. 
And mourn in this sequestered bower; 

Draw nigh and hear my sad complaint. 
And let me feel thy ransomed power. 

Then shall my spirit be at rest, 
And feel that all is well within ; 

Then shall I mingle with the blest, 
And triumph o'er the curse of sin. 



*'l AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE 
LIFE." 

To Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, 
Be honor, praise, and glory given. 

By all of earth's expiring host, 

And all the sacred tribes of Heaven. 

This triune, co-eternal God, 

We will adore while life endures ; — 

Our sins demand his iron rod ; 
But "race eternal life secures. 



rice's poetry. 323 

This is our omnipresent King ; 

He bled and died lost man to save ; 
On wings of mercy he did bring 

Salvation from the gloomy grave. 

All honor to this risen God ! 

The Monster Death he bound in chains : 
In Joseph's tomb, the grave he trod ; 

But now a God in glory reigns. 

If Christ be risen from the dead, 
And burst the iron bands of hell ; 

So shall we through our living Head 
Arise, and with our Savior dwell. 

By Adam's fall, death passed on all; — 
By Christ the resurrection came; 

Therefore we on our Jesus call, 

And sound abroad his worthy name. 

And when the last loud trump shall sound, 
We all shall feel the promise sure ; 

Then shall restoring life be found, 
Our dust an angel's crown secure. 

The soul and body both shall meet, 
Though countless ages roll between; 

Shall fall and kiss the Savior's feet, 

And view those gems, no man hath seen. 



*' JESUS WEPT." 

Jesus Christ the Lord descended, 
Took upon him flesh and blood ; 

God and man his nature blended, 
To destroy sin's raging flood. 

Lo the Savior ! see him weeping 
O'er his brother's mortal doom; 

He cries " Come forth ;" and the sleeping 
Laz'rus rises from the tomb. 



324 rice's roETRv. 

Angels from your star-lit regions, 
See the Soa of God in tears ! 

Look, O earth ! with all your legions, 
And be free from doubts and fears. 

Wake, sinners ! from your slumber, 
To this weeping Savior flee ; 

And be counted in that number. 
Who from pains of hell are free. 

Now he reigns in courts of glory ; 

Tears are driven from his eyes : 
Saints around him tell the story, 

How the lost obtain the prize. 

To his Father he is pleading 
For the souls he wept and died ; 

Those five wounds are interceding, 
Which he felt when crucified. 



THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST. 

My Lord, I can no longer boast 
Of all the duties done by me ; 

My works are nought but dross at most ; 
My faith alone is built on Thee. 

My soul adores thy holy name ; 

What once I loved I count but loss; 
My sinful pride I own with shame. 

And hail the glory of thy cross. 

Yes, my immortal soul shall deem 
All things but loss for Jesus' sake ; 

I will his saving grace esteem, 

His righteousness by faith partake. 

When I was sunk beneath my load, 
And chains of death my spirit bound, 

The blood of Jesus marked the road, 
Through which eternal life is found. 



kice's poetry. 325 

The choicest service of my hands 
Dares not before his throne appear : 

I give my heart as his demands , 
And feel his saving promise near. 



NONE BUT JESUS. 

My Lord if I depart from thee, 

O, whither shall I go ? 
Thou art the only guide to me 

Through this dark vale of wo. 

The Vv'orld look on tliy death with scorn, 
And spurn thy gentle reign ; 

Ah ! they could sharpen ev'ry thorn, 
And plat the crown again. 

Lord, I have felt thy dying love 

Subdue my wicked soul ; 
And fix my hope on joys above, 

Where crystal waters roll. 

Thou at my heart's supreme delight, 
When dangers thwart my path; 

The Captain, under whom 1 fight, 
To shun eternal wrath. 

Thy truth shall guide me to the grave, 
While I on earth shall dwell ; 

And when I die, thou wilt me save, 
From all the pains of hell. 



" PRAISE THE LORD." 

Rejoice ye nations of the earth, 
Before your great Almighty King ; 

' Twas he that gave creation birth ; 
His grace did free salvation bring. 



28 



RICE S POETRY. 

With cheerful hearts your voices raise, 
And sound his fame in ev'ry land ; 

His name is worthy of all praise 

From earth, and all the heav'nly band. 

This is our God ! 'tis he alone, 

Who first our breath, and being gave ; 

We are his work, and not our own ; 
The sheep his soul delights to save. 

His heaHng grace is made secure, — 

To all creation he is kind j 
His love will through all time endure; 

In it eternal life we find. 

Seraphs this mighty God adore, 
And all the shining hosts on high ; 

By his sustaining arm we soar, 

Where saints redeemed shall never die. 



CHRIST'S DEATH AND RESURRECTION. 

Behold the Lord of glory dies, 

While darkness spreads its gloom around ; 
The shades of midnight veil the skies, 

And direful trembling shakes the ground. 

Ye friends of Jesus, drop a tear 

For him, who washed your sins away ; 

He died to bring salvation near, 
And bless you with eternal day. 

Here 's love expressed beyond degree, 
The sinner's Friend for man was slain; 

But lo ! triumphant joys I see, 
The dying Jesus lives again. 

The rising Savior leaves the tomb, 
Up to the courts of God he flies ; 

Escorting angels make him room. 

With loud hosannas throuofh the skies. 



rice's poetry. 327 

Ye saints dry up your tears and tell, 

Your Lord though dead in glory reigns; 

Sing how he triumphed over hell, 

And bound the tyrant death in chains. 

Say live forever King of kings, 

Strong to redeem, and born to save ; 

Say cruel monster " where 's thy sling ? 
And where 's thy vict'ry, boasting grave V 



THE CHRISTIAN WARFARE. 

Arise, my soul, shake off thy fears, 
March in the road to endless joy; 

Let Gospel grace dry up thy tears. 
And songs to God thy praise employ. 

Thy sins and hell resist th}^ course ; 

But Jesus made them vanquish'd foes ; 
By his right arm they lost their force, 

When he from Joseph's tomb arose. 

Then my soul, march on the road, 
That leads thee to the heav'nly gate ; 

For thou hast lost sin's pond'rous load , 
And shining angels for thee wait. 

For thee remains a starry crown. 
Made sure by God's eternal grace, 

Which saves thee from thy Savior's frown, 
And makes thee greet his comely face. 

Thou shalt reflect angelic light, 

And in God's full orbed glory soar; 

In him shalt lose thy mortal sight, 
And walk the ways of sin no more. 



THE WORLD BANISHED FOR CHRIST. 

Let carnal men the World pursue, 
Its bubbles strive to gain ; 



328 rice's poetry. 

Yet they must feel their loss to rue , 
For pleasure has its pain. 

As by the brightness of the morn 
The stars are all concealed, 

So ev'ry joy that 's earthly born 
By death is made to yield. 

This World no longer shall restrain 
My roving heart from God; — 

The virtue of my Savior slain 
Shall save me from his rod. 

My Lord, I w^ill be wholly thine. 

And live alone to thee ; 
Let thy salvation round me shine, 

Thy glory let me see. 

Though of all sinners I am chief, 

1 cannot doubt thy love ; 
Thy saving arm shall send relief, 

And waft my soul above. 

The gems of earth are naught but dross. 

They fly like chaff away ; 
Why then should I refuse the cross, 

And lose eternal day ? 



THE BLOOD OF JESUS. 

There is a healing fount of Blood, 
Drawn from the Savior's veins; 

And sinners by that cleansing flood. 
Are washed from all their stains. 

God's servant Paul, rejoiced to see 
That fountain opened wide ; 

And there may I, as well as he, 
Find rest in Jesus side. 



rice's poetry. 329 

Dear Savior this, thy Blood divine 

Can't lose its power to save, 
'Till thy elect, as angels shine 

In triumph o'er the grave. 

Since I beheld the healing stream, 

That from thy side did flow. 
Atoning blood has been my theme, 

And shall, while here below. 

And when I lay my body down, 

And tread this earth no more. 
My soul through Blood shall wear a crown 

On Canaan's peaceful shore. 

There with the saints around thy throne, 

By thy rich Blood divine, 
I '11 sing the power of God, thy own. 

And feel salvation mine. 



INVITATION HYMN. 

Sinners, your Savior's voice obey ! 

His mercy speaks to you; 
He fain would have you in the way 

Of Gospel truth pursue. 

This earth is but a fading show, 
Its blossoms weep and die ; 

All joy is transient here below. 
But fadeless up on high. 

Like raging seas, devoid of peace, 
Your spirits have no rest ; 

Your sorrows like a flood increase, 
To wring your troubled breasts. 

Your way is verging on to hell ! 

Why not desert the path 1 
Can you with hostile demons dwell, 

And feel Jehovah's wrath ? 



^28 



330 rice's poetry. 

Why will you still in folly go, 
And drink the cup of sin ? 

Toil hard to reap eternal wo, 
And feel no peace within ? 

Draw near to Jesus, and his grace 
Shall make your spirits free ; 

Then you shall view his smiling face, 
And all his glory see. 



AMERICAN LIBERTY. 

To thee, our Father and our Friend, 

Our praises all belong : — 
From thy exalted courts descend, 

And bless our sacred song. 

Our fathers' voices joined in one, 
Their songs of freedom raised ; 

The same by us shall now be done j 
Thy name shall still be praised. 

Rich gifts from thy Almighty hand 
Are scattered far and free ; 

O'er lake and ocean, sea and land 
We do thy goodness see. 

Father, still bless our fruitful soil 
With tokens of thy grace ; 

May we in all our future toil 
Behold thy smiling face. 

But ah ! there 's one thing we confess, 
By which from Thee we stray ; 

* Tis slav'ry with its deep distress ; 
' Tis hell's destructive way. 

Forgive that sin which binds the slave 

In bonds of deep despair; 
Teach us to live like freemen brave, 

To breathe one common air. 



rice's poetry. 331 

Shake off the negro's galling chain, 

Let him rejoice to know 
His freedom from his master's reign, 

And tears shall cease to flow. 

Slavery ! no deeper stain but one 

Our records can disgrace ! 
My God devise what shall be done, 

To save our stubborn race. 

Let freedom's voice no longer sound, 

Until our slaves can feel 
Their chains have fallen to the ground, 

And we that truth reveal. 

Then shall our happy land no more 

Feel slav'ry's cruel blow ; 
But freedom's voice from shore to shore, 

In sweetest strains shall flow. 

The black and white shall then be free, 

Their Father to adore ; 
His righteousness they all may see, 

As did the Jews of yore. 

They all shall in one voice unite. 

To bless their native land ; 
And as soil owners they will fight, 

In one triumphant band. 



"GLAD TIDINGS." 

Great God, this universal earth, 

And all therein are thine ; 
In these we see thy matchless worth, 

In full orbed glory shine. 

But, Lord, thy greater gift has been 
Sent down to man from Heaven ; 

Which saves his marble heart from sin, 
And speaks his soul forgiven. 



8^ rice's poetry. 

Lord, when shall tidings of thy grace 
Spread o'er this spacious ball, 

And save, through faith, our ruined race 
From their destructive fall ? 

When shall benighted Africa 

The Gospel truth enjoy. 
Her sable sons to Jesus pray — 

His praise their tongues employ ? 

When shall degraded Heathen all 
Bow at their Father's feet, 

And worship Him, whose gracious call, 
Can make their joj^s complete? 

Hasten, my Lord, that happy day, 
When ev'ry tongue shall tell, 

" Jesus has washed my sins away, 
And saved my soul from hell." 

Then shall the world to glory rise, 
And feel their Heaven secure ; 
* On golden pinions wing the skies, 
While crowns of life endure. 



JULIZA, THE ADOPTED OKPHAN. 

Earth has no pleasure li'ce thy notes my daughter., 
The sky no beauty like thy sparkling eye, 

No grace like thy cheek has the crystal water, 
The air no fragrance like thy heaving sigh. 

Thou art the boon to my rich fancy given, 
Type of all gems that glow with tenderness; 

What claim had I on this fond gift of Heaven, 
To dwell on earth my wounded heart to bless. 

I hail the glory of thy youthful gambols, 
The brightest lustre of thy morning sun ; 

In prayer I bear thee in my forest rambles 
To Him who has thy soul's salvation won. 



rice's poetry. 333 

Fairest of earth where didst thou learn that power 
Of music made by brook or feathered throng ? 

Where learn to love the wood-land and the flower, 
And chime in rapture all creation's song? 

What mean those smiles thy rosy lips entwining, 
Thy sparkling gaze with gushing wonder fraught ? 

Why glow those eyes in full orbed glory shining, 
As if inspired by some celestial thought ? 

Kind angel guides have taught thee ways of win- 
ning, 

So as to make all sainted hearts secure ; 
How can I bend to earth and cleave to sinning, 

Since I am blest by one with love so pure ? 

It is with fearful joy my heart embraces 
Thy star-lit beauty with a trembling gaze ; 

My mind thy youthful pilgrimage retraces. 

And quails to think how short thy fleeting days. 

And yet methinks I can confide in Heaven, 
In Him who is the helpless orphan's shield ; 

He has to all his faithful promise given 

That will draw near to claim their pardon sealed. 

My God direct ' till days of earth are ended, 

'Till pain and joy shall cease her heart to thrill ; 

Then may her harp with harps of Heav'n be blended, 
To chant with angels on Mount Zion's hill. 

There shall the sorrows of this world no longer 
Inspire her heart with pain and dying strife ; 

Her mortal foes shall bow before the Stronger, 
Where ev'ry saint is swallowed up of life. 



334 rice's poetry. 



LOVE STRONGER THAN DEATH. 

The gloom of night was brooding o'er the wc.rld; 
And time spread out his wings in search of prey ; — 
Seized his victim, — laid him on his couch, — soon 
To feel the pangs of dissolving nature, and 
Bow down in death's strong agony. It was 
The man of God laden with four score years. 
His head was silvered o'er ; for he had wrought 
In his Master's service more than half a 
Century. Night and day he ceased not to 
Cry from Zion's wall to tell the sinner 
Of his marble heart, and point him to the 
Ran>:om made for sin, and to Jesus the 
Only Savior of the soul. 

Deep silence 
Prevailed ! No voice of lamentation heard ; — 
No lukewarm prayers for mercy slighted long ; 
No plea to stay the destroying angel; 
No frightful groans amid his mortal pain ; 
No cloud was brooding o'er his sky. His eye 
Was bright with celestial glory, and his 
Ear seemed to catch the sound of that angel's 
Wing, who came to bear him to the courts where 
God unveils his light — where saints in glory 
Bow, and all the upper host strike with joy, 
With bliss unspeakable their harps of gold. 

Full well he knew the fatal hour was nigh; 
His work was done. On his trembling frame prest 
Heavily the weight of years. Ah ! soon he 
Felt the chords of life would sunder; yet 
With anchor cast within the veil, he laid 
Him down to die. No fear disturbed his peace ; 
His faith was over Jordan cast, where all 
His brethren dwell. 

It was the house of death, 
Where ev'ry mourner bore a visage grave. 
And sobs of grief fast rose from broken hearts 



RICE S POETRY. 335 

That formed the weeping group. Once more they 

prest 
Around his bed to view the object of 
Their dying hopes, and catch the last glance of 
Their departing Sire. ' Twas then his heart moved 
To pity — his eyes filled with tears as he 
Looked around on his household band. ' Twas 
Then a shade o'erspread his dying features ! 
Parental affection moved his breast; yet 
He pled not for longer life ; but gently 
Raised his hand to give the parting blessing, 
And exclaimed, " I love my wife and children 
All, full well ; but more, far more I love my 
Savior. " This was Love stronger than death, which 
Bore his spirit up to its native home. 




TIME'S DESTROYING FLIGHT. 

Night's dreary curtain shrouds the world, man m 
Sleep reposes — the din of action is 
Hushed to silence — the birds of heaven have 
Gone to rest; the grazing herds that range the 
Lawn have laid them down to bathe in dews 
Of heaven, and watch the morning light : — the 
Knell of midnight, borne on the breeze tells of 
Days and years departed, and of the slaughtered 
Millions that sleep by Time's destructive flight ! 
Yet he moves on with his grisly form, and 
Like the snow-wreath from the lofty mountain 
Sweeps down his victims by his rapid car, 
And clothes the world in mournino- for the slain 



336 



RICE S rOETUY, 



' Tis midnight, and the moon-bcanis shine faintly 
On ocean, hill, and valley. Nature seems 
Wrapt in silence, and heeds not the victim's 
Groan, nor the warrior's tear. The leaves are 
Fast falling — the forest is naked for 
The winter blasts — and icy bridges cross 
The silver slreams. A calm o'erspreads the earth, 
Silence prevails. But suddenly the wind 
Is howling — inspired with a furious 
Sweep — the forest bows before it — the domes 
Totter, while the minarets and bastions 
Tremble, as if struck by some terrible 
Blow I yet Time moves on fearless of the scene 
Around, as if no devastation shook 
The works of nature — no pain was felt by 
Man. Lo, the sleeper rises from his couch — 
Feels the scourges of the storm, and flies for 
Eefuge, but flies in vain — curses the day 
Of his existence, and in lost hope expires. 

Time sits on his iron throne, and sways 
The sceptre of his vast domain. He hurls 
His mortal darts — cnts down the fairest flowers. 
And holds the keys of earth's common tomb. The 
Gay, the sober, the rich and poor, the saint 
And seer, and all the nobles of the earth 
Have felt the torments of his baneful 
Sting, and gone to their dreamless slumber. The 

strong 
Gigantic form that seems to challenge his 
Gnawing tooth is driven like chaff' before 
The wind. The warrior that flies to arms, and 
Rushes to the battle field, hastens the 
Wings of Time to drink his blood, and leaves no 
Laurels to grace his bones, fast bleaching on 
The soil of death. O Time ! remorseless Time ! 
Thy steps come silent on, surcharged with woe ! 
Thou giant murderer ! the fiend of man, 
And his greatest dread. No power can stay 
Thy course, or make thy heart to bleed. Thy 



rice's poetry. 337 

Track is onward, and none shall be able 

To wear thy crown, and stop thy chariot wheels. 

The proud condor of the lofty Andes 
That soars on high amid the vault of heaven, 
And with his pinions braves the fury of 
The tornado, or wings the blue ether 
Beyond the burst of lightning, or the 
Loud thunder's voice, when night comes on furls 

his broad 
Wing, and fast descends to the mountain top. 
But Time desires no rest. Night's mid darkness 
Can find no chains his wings to bind. His strong 
Pinions rush over the world, producing 
I^evolution upon revolution, 
Like the frightful visions of the night, that 
Trouble the dreamer's heart. Cities rise and 
Fall like the ocean's waves. Islands of fire 
Spring up amid the mighty waters, and 
Sink beneath the surges of the deep. The 
Lofty mountains with their burning craters, and 
Sable cliifs have bowed to kiss the plains. New 
Kingdoms rise bound by the strength of ages ; yet 
They sink, like ships in the maelstroom, to be 
Seen no more. And those stars above, that gild 
The azure vault, and with their gushing fires 
Form the amphitheatre of heaven. 
Like lamps of gold, shme from their vast abyss, 
Shoot from their sockets, and pass away in 
The trackless void of ether. Yet Time, the 
Grave-digger, holds his stiflfened reins — winds up 
The sinner's probation — makes fast his chains, 
And sweeps him down with one ruthless blow, to 
Plunge the lake of fire, and wail with demons 
Lost, where merc3''s voice shall never reach his 
Ear. All stern and fearless he falters not 
Amid the groans of victims — the crush of 
Matter, and the wreck of worlds ! but looks on like 
Other victors while sitting on his throne, 
Regardless of the ruin he has made. 



29 



338 rice's poetry. 

M}^ reader pause! Time has not yet been thy 
Murderer; but soon must build thy tomb. The 
Moon may wax and wane — years may revolve, ere 
He shall cut thee down ; yet thy destiny 
Is sure. Time shall reign triumphant o'er thrones 
And dominions — earth shall to him bow. Thy 
Soul shall survive the wreck of Time. If clad 
In divinity God will sustain thee 
When the angel shall swear, "Time shall be no 
Longer." Then shall immortality swell 
Thy bosom, and Time be exchanged for Heaven ; 
Thy joy shall be that of angels, and thy 
Golden harp chant the diadem of Life. 



DEATH OF JOHN QUINCY ADAMS. 

Death prevails. That aged Sire — our country's 
Friend, who for gone by years had pled within 
The Capitol — .sustained our rights, our wrongs 
Condemned — beheld by many a sparkling 
£ye, — bejoved by «.!! who their country loved. 
BiXi that well known voice shall plead no longer ! 
Those- eyes no more brighten in prospect of 
tOur country's welfare, or blaze with fearful 
Wrath oUl foes to God and man. That graceful 
Form no lorsger shall stand in the Congress 
iHall, and eou,tend with giant intellect 
Petition's righit— break down his foes — the flag 
Of Liberty sustain. His useful life 
Is endedj and bis mortal remains have 
Been borne away to fill the gaping tomb. 

Death prevails. That heart which had long 
been raised 
To Heaven for .our Liberty and Peace, shall 
Beat no longer, Tnat Jiving form which has 
Ever acted for the happiness of 
Man, has gone to its dreamless slumber. That 
Well known seat, which has been honored by one 



I 



rice's poetry. 339 

Of the brightest Stars in our Union is 
Now vacant ; — no one to fill it, and say- 
To the political tempest, " Peace, be 
Still !" The matchless Oracle of Freedom 
In tliat splendid mansion where he had 
So long sustained Truth and Justice, breathed his 

last !— 
A strong memento to his brethren of 
Their mortality. Silent must that tongue 
Forever be, which spoke in wisdom's voice, 
And often hushed the storm that brooded o'er 
The Capitol. Death found him at his post, 
And quickly broke the golden chords of life 
In sunder ; yet with conscience clean before 
God and. man, he met the grim Messenger 
Rejoicing — his dying thoughts were upward — 
Borne on heavenly zephyrs, they reached the courts 
Above. His tongue palsied by the fatal 
Shock, gave its final utterance, " Tins is 
The last of earth — I am content." Soon the 
Dying scene was over — sighs followed sighs — 
Tears fell upon tears — and deep mourning in 
Solemn silence shrouded the Judgment Hall. 

Friend of Liberty, and of thy country 
Farewell. Rememb'rance shall long hold thee 
Dear in the land of thy nativity ; but 
Thy voice and thy presence shall be seen 
And heard no more. Farewell! 'till the crumbling 
Republics of time shall have passed aw^ay, 
And nothing shall endure, but treasures laid 
Up in God. Farewell! 'till the trump of the 
Resurrection morning shall awake the 
Sleeping dead ! then shall thy dust arise in 
The full bloom of immortality, and 
If clad in the robes of Divinity, thou 
Shah hail the ransomed throng in endless life — 
Meet thy Savior and thy Father in peace — 
Join the Republic of Heaven above — 
Confirmed by God around his shining throne. 



340 rice's poetry. 

MESSIAH. 

Ye sons of earth awake ! your fate deplore ' 
Fierce wrath of God for you is kept in store, 
A direful storm is gathered o'er your head, 
And waits to bear you to the silent dead: 
Your spirits by your ancient father slain 
Are fast approaching- hell's eternal pain. 
The way to death is open far and wide, 
And thousands walk therein with rapid stride ; 
They live for woe — unconscious of their doom 
Until they plunge the spirit's final tomb ! 
The die is cast — God's law declares them dead. 
And pours its thunders on their guilty head; 
All hope is lost — the fallen sinner dies, 
With banished demons in deep anguish cries; 
Pours forth his wails, but finds no list'ning ear 
To cheer his heart, and wnpe the falling tear; 
Mourns his sad fate — laments his father's fall, 
Which bound the chains of moral death on all, 
Shut out the spirit from its Eden sky, 
To feel the sword of vengeance from on high. 

My soul arise above this mournful strain ! 
Though man is lost, he may salvation gain. 
Hark ! hark ! I hear from angel courts above 
In songs of rapture — God's eternal love. 
Resounding through the upper worlds of light, 
Brought down to earth by seraphs' rapid flight, 
In chanting music to the shepherd's ear. 
To charm his soul, and drive away his fear. 
" Glory to God," in highest strains they sing, 
" To you this day is born a Prince and King,' 
The Savior, who shall bind the sinner's foe, 
And all the works of darkness overthrow; 
The Son of God, who since has burst the tomb, 
And drove from man the shades of midnight gloom. 

Hail Mediator! man's eternal Rock! 
The living Shepherd of thy chosen flock; 
The Father's Son, bv ancient bards foretold ; 



rice's poetry. 341 

The Man of God — the price of sin had sold ; 
In endless wonder, must thy love remain 
In ev'ry heart, since Thou for sin wast slain. 

Lo in the garden I behold the Man, 
Ere he was taken by the wicked clan, 
Kneeling before his Father — hear him cry 
'• Save from this hour !" for sin I groan and die ! 
But soon I hear the voice of God's dear Son, 
" Except I drink this cup thy will be done." 
Judas the traitor stretches forth his hand. 
And gives the signal to the wicked band ; 
They bound the Savior — led him to the hall; 
Bearing the scoffs and infamy of all ; 
Condemned by man — by man was crucified ; 
For man he groaned upon the cross and died ; 
For man he prayed — the sun withdrew his light, 
Three hours refused to view the gloomy sight ; 
The rocks were rent — the Jewish Temple shook, 
When God the Son his dying clay forsook. 

Awake my soul to that expiring groan. 
Which caused the earth in midnight shades to mouni; 
See the life-blood gush from the Savior's heart, 
Through ev'ry nerve he bears the cruel smart ; 
Behold him buried in the marble tomb, 
Where he partook the sinners' common doom. 
But short his stay — the angel from the skies 
Rolled back the stone, and bid the Savior rise ; 
His chains fell off — he burst the tyrant's seal, 
That he the wounds of sin and death might heal. 
Yet forty days, from earth he took his flight, 
Soared to the regions of his own delight ; 
There free from turmoil, death, and every pain, 
The true Messiah shall in glory reign. 



THE ANGEL BINDING BEELZEBUB. 

The lofty Angel from the Father's throne, 
Descends and enters through the gate alone ; 



^29 



342 rice's poetry. 

Inspired with pow'r from the exalted skies, 
He binds the Demon 'till the last revive ! 
On the dark pit he stamps the fatal seal, 
And drives the soldiers from the battle field ! 
Infernal foes, now sundered from their king, 
Flee from the earth, and leave the saints to sing 
The song of vict'ry, by the cross unfurled — 
The restoration of a dying world. 

THE DYING SINNER. 
In that dread moment, how the frantic soul 
Raves through the walls of her clay tenement ? 
Pressing to ev'ry avenue for help ! 
But finds no plastic Sire ready to slay 
The enemy of man, or him disthrone. 
He comes in triumphant victory ! 
Sways the sceptre over all human flesh, 
He crops the bloom of life — the victim falls, 
And takes a realm in yonder sable tomb. 
But alas ! the soul with all her anguish! 
How she shrieks under the fatal agony ? 
Much greater in the anticipation 
Of unerring death, that never expires. 
She heaves u si'gh, too big for utterance ! 
Yet a little longer, O might I stay ! 
To wash away forbidden stains, and fit 
Me for my passage ! but she cries in vain ! 
The monster death, prevails in victory! 
The edifice consumes, and lifeless falls ! 
While the immortal part, wings in quick flight 
To the gloomy mansion, or second death. 
To rise no more forever i * * * 



THE DRUNKARD'S EPITAPH. 

* * * * In infamy he dies ! 
The catalogue arose — the book appears — 
The Judge assumes his seat — awards are giv n 



rice's poetry. 343 

There stands trembling in anticipation 
Of his fearful doom — manacled in chains ! 
At length he hears the last sentence given — 
Proclaimed by Jesus, and ils expelling force 
Drives him from the seat of justice, ever 
In that opaque region or second death, 
To dwell with the infernal ghosts of hell ! 
He heaves a groan that never can expire. 



REDEMPTION. 

How shall I announce this theme, thai 
Dares the pen of angels ? Its height 
So ample mounts beyond my thoughts — 
Retires in depths of eternity, 
By that veil which shuts from me the 
Vast infinite of the great I 
AM, and drowns my senses in the 
Tracing search of what the ample 
Theme demands. Redemption ! it came 
From Heaven. It rears the hell-bound 
Spirit tinctured by the fall, to 
The abode of smiling angels. 
O, may I breathe as long as breath 
Is given, in adoration to Him 
Who waded hell's vast abyss, and 
Slew the strongest foe. " Adore Him 
All ye nations ! Praise Him all ye 
People," with harps well tuned by strings 
Imbued in his atoning blood. 



HE GAVE UP THE GHOST. 

The work is finished — He bowed his head- 
Gave up the Ghost, and left his mangled 
Body on the purple tree. What spear 
Is this that drank his blood — blushing with 
Crimson from his heart ? Lo the soldier 



S44 rice's poetry. 

Wades in a Savior's gore — compressd with 
A- garment dipt in Adam's fall — shuts 
The gate of mercy's voice ; and sheds no 
Mourning tears. Here, my soul ! let all 
Thy passions roll! Here drink the balm 
That cheers the mind — dispels all sin, and 
Stamps the soul for Heaven. * * 



THE SPIRIT'S GRAVE. 

I hear the fun'ral dirge of spirits damned, 
And see the fiery waves around them roll ; 
Forever burning, yet never consumed ! 
Always expiring, but shall never die ! 
There groan in quick succession follows groan, 
And sorrow treads on the heels of sorrow ! 
There sighs are raging in the troubled heart, 
And scalding tears from eyes that ever weep 
Distil the lake of fire with devils damn'd ! 
There mercy never sees or feels the woes 
And lamentations of the dying soul. 



ON THE DEATH OF SOPHIA B. HUBBARD. 

My harp awake ! put forth thy mournful strains 

To swell the dirge of one whose fleeting years 

Are numbered, and whose lifeless clay slumbers 

In the tomb. She was the object of a 

Father's love, and the rich jewel of a 

Mother's heart. They had watched her youthful days 

And marked her path with kindness, until the 

Age of womanhood graced her comely form. 

But soon mortality wound up the chain. 

And eartlr^s frail victim fell. Death sundered wide 

The husband and the wife, and closed the scene 

Forever. 

The day ere she died, all seemed 
Well. Health was smilinjr on her cheek, and for 



rice's poetry. 345 

Alight was known on earth, might live for many 
Y^ears. But the angel of death had spread his 
Speedy pinions, and in quick flight urged his 
Way to the sad victim's heart — dried up the 
Sanguiferous tide ; the arterial 
Action grew weaker, and yet weaker still ; 
At length her heart gave its last faint motion, 
And ail was silent as the house of death ! 
Then dust returned to dust, and the soul to 
God that gave it. 

Around her dynig couch 
Stood her husband and her friends, unwiihng 
To let her go. With anchor cast within 
The veil she had hope in death, and gave them 
Her last faint warning ; " This is the end of 
Life ! Soon like me you must feel dissolving 
Nature I Prepare to meet your God." Then came 
The angel of the everlasting Word, 
And bore her away from the building of 
Mortality up to the spirit land. 

Deep silence prevailed ! and naught was heard but 
The broken wails and sobs of wounded hearts. 

Our friend is gone. Her face we '11 see no more. 
Earth was too low a realm for her soul — made 
Free by Jesus' Blood. Torn from all below 
She took her flight in the morn of life to 
The abode of angels ; and left her friends 
To verge the gaping tomb. No pain shall swell 
Her bosom — no tears of grief, no sighs of 
Woe. Death struggles have passed away, and her 
Mental powers the avenues of supreme 
Delight. Sainted spirit, farewell. No more 
Shall we meet on earth. Heaven grant that we 
All may meet in the church triumphant, there 
Surround the Tree of Life, and pluck the fruit 
By which immortal spirits live on high. 



346 rice's poetry. 

THE ASCENSION OF THE SON OF GOD. 

From toil, reproach, deep sighs, and mortal groans, 
The Victim breaks the fetters of the tomb, 
And soars in triiimph to his Father's throne. 
Daughters of Jerusalem, weep ! begin 
Your deep toned wail of woe ; for his fair eyes 
Of mercy shall no longer weep for you 
At Salem's gates. Your day of his gracious 
Visitation is passed away; the night 
Of solemn darkness clouds your sky ; 
The long night of centuries yet to come, 
Charged with the incensed anger of your God. 
Your widows are now forsaken ; for the 
Sweet voice of Jesus no more shall dry up 
Their funeral tears, nor awake their loved 
Ones from the slumber of the grave, until 
That great day, when all the sleeping dead shall 
Obey the voice of God's exalted Son. 

He rose at the morning watch, when from the 
Walls of ancient Solyma — the bliss of earth. 
Night's weary watchers from their posts had fled. 
The orient light had just begun to 
Dispel Judea's nocturnal shades. In 
The city, deep silence prevailed, save the 
Murmur of Kidron's stream, or the 
Loud scream of the soaring eagle, as he winged 
In triumph above the Temple's lofty 
Dome, toward the fading stars, losing their 
Light by fulgency of morn ; prophetic 
Bird against Jerusalem. Did He rise ? 
The marble tomb — the massy stone — Cesar's 
Seal — Pilate's men of war — myriads of 
Angels lost, and death itself, no longer 
Could hold the Prisoner. The angel 
Of the everlasting covenant flew 
From the portal of the skies ; deputized 
By Him, who is the resurrection and 
The life, sundered the icy chains of death — 



347 

The Victim rose, while soldiers lay like dead 
Men round the tomb of God's eternal Son. 

Soon as the sacred gates were opened wide, 
Jesus advances to the holy mount, 
To return no more, until the hostile 
Jews confess their smitten Lord. PI is chosen 
Flock now with him journey on, winding their 
Way with anxious step and eager thought, while 
Each by turn converses on the faith of 
Israel's ransom, and the incessant reign 
Of God's dear One on David's vacant throne. 

The morning sun in all his splendid rays 
Shone bright, as when it first on Eden rose. 
The midnight dews that fell on Zion's hill, 
Had met the sunbeams in a flood of tears. 
Yet the Jews remained unconscious of their doom, 
As if no wrath for them was kept in store ; 
Their eyes were closed, they spurned to see him rise, 
Who claimed the glory of His Father's throne. 

Awhile they toiled, and gained th-e mountain's top 
And viewed the choicest scene of Jacob's land. 
A cloud appeared of unknown brilliant light. 
Calmly descending from the upper skies, 
To bear away the everlasting God. 
The steeds and chariots of the Lord were there, 
Flaming with angelic charioteers. 
That choir which sung creation's morrjing song. 
Again had passed the golden gates of Heaven, 
To hail the Savior to his native land. 

It was the most peaceful hour earth's Stranger 
Ever knew, since the squadron of angels 
Broke the mornin<r slumber of the shepherds 
Of Bethlehem. His toils had passed away — 
His deep agony for sin was over — 
Joseph's tomb had given up its Victim — 
The crown of thorns had dropp'd from his temples — 
His wounded hands and bleeding side were stanched; 
The scourge remained in the judgment hall — 
The bloody cross had fallen to the ground: 



348 rice's poetry. 

Yet never to be forgotten ; bat to 
Stand as the signal of sin's last hope, 'till 
The angel of the resurrection morn, 
Shall swear by Him that liveth forever 
And ever, " Time shall be no longer." 

Forty days had passed away, since from his 
Pale temples and lifeless clay. He shook the 
Damps of his dreary sepulchre; and by 
The power of his redemption, destroyed the 
Gloomy grave of its triumph — placed its 
Keys in his woun-led side — rof e immortal — • 
Was death's last plague — the Grave's exulting King. 

The time of separation was nigh at hand : 
And the dread of parting filled ev'ry heart. 
Now near his spotless face they pressed, once more 
To see the matchless beauty of their Lord, 
And share his blessings ere they sighed farewell. 
He raised his sacred hands, and waved them o'er 
His loved disciples — strange joy filled their hearts ; 
And while he yet spoke, an ambient cloud, 
Surpassing the sun's midday glory, bore 
Him above this nether world, on the wings 
Of his Divinity, to the mansions 
Of his Father's everlasting kingdom. 



MY SISTER'S EXIT. 

She was her father's youngest child ; 
The jewel that lay near his heart. 
From the time when light on her first 
Began to dawn 'till the day of 
Her departure, she claimed his fond 
Embrace. But dust returned again 
To dust ; for the rose-bud only 
Bloomed to die — the flower was cut down 
Ere the sun had reached its zenith ; 
And her lily cheeks — her coral 
Lips — her sparkling eyes, and graceful 



rice's poetry. 349 

Form, were wrapped in death's forgetful 

Sleep. That heart which had propelled the 

Sanguiferous tide stood still, tired 

Of its labors — gave its last faint 

Motion, and all was deep silence, 

Save the bitter sobs of those who 

Stood around her bed, and witnessed 

Her last groans, while her temple to 

Its centre shook, as her spirit 

Took its everlasting flight ! Hark ! 

No more I hear those groans. That tongue 

Which once did speak as the spirit 

Gave it utterance, shall speak no 

More. Those limbs, so active in all 

The vigor of youth, have lost their 

Motion — -have gone to fill the grave — 

To be the property of worms — 

To return from whence they came, and 

Wait the resurrection trumpet, 

When God's dear children shall awake 

From their dreamless slumber. Then if 

Rescued in the arms of that Friend 

Thou didst profess to love, thou shalt 

Be borne above the starry lamps, 

And far beyond the blue abyss, 

And all the planetary worlds ; 

Fast by the Tree of Life, where thy 

Redeemer lives, God will set thee 

Down, where thou shalt pluck celestial 

Fruit, and both soul and body drink 

The cup of salvation from the 

Healing streams of thy Father's kingdom. 

Farewell departed w^orth ! until 
I too shall plunge the dreary tomb — 
Through centuries be forgotten ; 
Yet not by God ! for his eye will 
Be on all the sleeping dust of 
His dear loved ones, until that time 
Shall come by his unchanged decree, 



30 



350 rice's poetry. 

When man's frail dust shall rise — with soul 
Unite, never to part again. 
Farewell ! until the angel shall 
Descend the skies deputized by 
God, with one foot on sea and one 
On land, and swear by the living 
Monarch of Heaven and earth, " Time 
Shall be no longer." Farewell! *till 
The fires of the resurrection 
Morning shall thwart the azure vault 
With a gloomy magnificence — 
The world catch the calid flame — the 
Oceans dry by earth's volcanic 
Groans, and all the elements of 
Nature be wrapped in the ruins 
Of the last day ! Then if hid in 
God's pavilion, we '11 soar above 
Conflicting elements — bid earth 
Farewell — enter the portal of 
Heaven, and feel the raptures of 
Eternal life ! There the palsied 
Tongue, loosed from the chains of the grave, 
Shall shout in triumph over hell 
And death — bid grief and pain adieu- 
Ascend God's living temple on 
Mount Zion's hill — catch the fire 
Of seraphim and cherubim, and 
Sing the anthems of an endless 
Day. Glorious hope ! My sister, 
Shall I meet thee there — behold thee 
Face to face ? where tears shall never 
Fall — where the heart shall never beat 
With anguish — nor the bosom swell 
With pain? * * # * • 



rice's poetry. 351 



MY FATHER'S EXIT. 

Full four score years had passed away — the morn 
Of life was nigh forgotten, and the full 
Orbed sun of the aged Sire had long since 
Lost his meridian glory — soon passed 
The western horizon, to rise no more. 

Blest with long life, and health for many years, 
His days of youth, and middle age, were crowned 
Vfith plenty, and rejoicing: yet not all; 
For earth's pleasure has its pain. The cares of 
That household band — his to administer, 
And his to sympathize in joy or woe. 
Oft intruded on his peace, and made his 
Heart to bleed — his eyes to weep. Two friends he 
Had, joined in wedlock's band, and both consigned 
To fill the gaping tomb. In death he closed 
The eyes of an infant son, and daughter 
Of riper years. He was no stranger to 
The cares and ills of life, which oft intrude 
And blast earth's brightest joys. 

Pain had seldom 
Pierced his frame, 'till one score years before his 
Death. From thence the ills of life, and length of 
Days pressed heav'ly upon him, and cast a 
Gloom o'er life's approaching eve. But the scene 
Is over. All earth born weal or woe, with 
Him are ended, like the dreamer's visions 
Of the night. The palsied shock froze the life 
Current of his heart — stilled ev'ry nerve, and 
Closed the scene forever. 

As his eyes grew 
Dim, his flesh wasted, and pulse fast throbbing 
By approaching death, I saw no proof in 
Nature's book of immortality ! but 
Dust returned to dust. His mind the second 
Time became infantile, and all the pow'rs 
Of man seemed lost in the oblivion 
Of the grave. But hope revives. In the light 



m^ 



RICE S POETRY. 



or the Gospel I see vict'ry written 
On the tomb by Him who broke the monster's 
Chains, and became the first fruits of them that 
Slept. Jesus has brought immortality 
To liglit — declared in man a living- soul — ' 
A Heaven to gain — a hell to shun — a 
Judgment, by which he will declare the fates of 
Men. My Father, I leave thee in the hands 
Of Him, before whose face we all must meet, 
And live or die according to our deeds. 

My soul put on thy watch ! Learn thou full well 
From such departed worth thy certain doom, 
And prepare to meet thy God. Then shall it 
Be well with thee when death shall end thy course ; 
For thy treasure will be that of angels, 
And thy song the song of the ransomed ones, 
That gather fruit from Life's fair Tree in Heav'n. 



THE WRECK OF THE STEAMER SWALLOW. 

Dark was the night ! the tempest howled, 
And midnight gloom shut out the light. 
And o'er the waters spread her wings. 
As the Swallow moved swiftly on. 
The crew no danger dreamed, but passed 
Their hours in gayety and mirth, 
Thoughtless of death and judgment near 
At hand. But alas ! the Steamer 
Left her wonted course — the pilot 
Saw no light to direct her in 
Safety d^wn the stream — suddenly 
She struck the dire rock, which her in 
Sunder broke — it was the rock of 
Death to many of her crew. 

Hark ! I hear the frantic cry, " Save ! 
Save from this mortal element — 
This unexpected grave." For some 
The prayer was heard, while others more 



rice's poetry. 353 

Unfortunate closed their eyes in 
Death, and sunk beneath the direful 
Surges of the deep. I heard the 
Female's frantic shriek for help ! but 
She cried in vain. Fate had struck the 
Blow too deep — the die was cast — the 
Fatal hour had come by sorrow's stern 
Control, when mortals must close their 
Eyes and plunge the region of a 
Pulseless sleep. Then all was silent 
Save the rushing crew and howling 
Winds that swept the dismal wreck ! The 
Dark waters o'erspread the victims' 
Grave ! The scene was big with horror ! 
Tears from their crystal fountains flowed 
And wet those eyes scarce known to weep. 



THE MOTHER'S DEPARTURE. 

Months and years rolled on — the playful days of 
Childhood had passed away, and were only 
Known by retrospection. Womanhood now 
Graced her comely form — health smiled upon her 
Cheek, and all the glory of youth sat on 
Her brow- — emblem of earthly bliss and length 
Of years. But how false the omen ? The bow 
Was already drawn — the arrow pointed 
To the heart — it pierced the victim, and she 
Fell a prey to death — to feed the loathesome 
Worm — to turn to dust, and fill the narrow 
House ; which is the direful curse of sin. 

Her vows of matrimony were pledged, and 
The bridal hour was nigh at hand. Fond hope 
Inspired her bosom, but how false ? how vain 
That fancy which moved her heart ? Unguarded 
By wisdom's voice, she fell a victim with 
Thousands more, to poverty, sufferings, 
And untimely death. Fancy's dreams, regardless 



'30 



3^ 

Of i> elibation, soon destroyed the rich 
Visions of her soul. Better had she dwelt 
Alone — better had she never been called 
Mother. Years passed away — children were born, 
Then misery's strong fetters followed to the 
Tomb. Disease, slow in its progress, yet sure 
In its aim, seized her vitals — the hectic 
Flush was on her cheek — her ruby lips were 
Blasted — her eyes in wild appearance rolled — 
Her heart digressive in its action, beat 
With hastened motion, until nature was 
Overcome, and the poor sufferer died. 

In her last mortal agony, methinks 
I hear her faint whispers, " Jesus is my 
Hope ! through faith he bears me up ; and now as 
I plunge the cold waters of death, I feel 
Myself safe in Zion's ship, and soon shall 
Brave the breakers, and scale the highlands of 
Heaven." "Father, into thy hands I commit 
These little ones thou hast given me ; for 
Thou hast promised to be the orphan's God." 
Having thus closed the dire scene, her heart gave 
Its final motion, and her spirit took 
Its everlasting flight \ * * * * 

How changed thy realm ? For if Jesus is thy 
Friend, angels are thy sister spirits — the 
Song of Heaven is thy song, and the New 
Jerusalem is thy dwelling place. Here 
Thou didst reside in an humble mansion — 
No vestments of grandeur attended thy 
Lonely pilgrimage — by the rich, the wise, 
And noble of this world, thou wert not known 
But if known by Jesus — the sinner's Friend, 
Thou shalt be borne on wings of cherubim 
Far above the frail grandeur and riches 
Of earth, to dwell in thy Father's kingdom — 
To be adorned with glory in endless 
Life. And as the foolish rich man, who has 
No treasure laid up in God, wails in his 



355 

Prison-house of woe, among angels lost, 
Thy heart shall swell in rapture with kindred 
Spirits in the fair climes of Heaven, and 
Chant the anthems of thy Savior's love ! Joy 
Of celestial origin shall fill thy 
Soul, where drops of mercy ever fall, and 
Waves of grief shall roll no more. 
***** Farewell, sweet 
Songster ! Rich grace now tunes thy golden harp- 
Grace that cost thy Savior's agony in 
Gethsemane — his death-groans on the mount 
Of Calvary, and all his sufferings 
Through this vale of tears. Farewell! until thy 
Slumbering dust shall hear the trumpet's voice 
Of the first resurrection, and awake 
In all the beauties of eternal life, 
In shouts of triumph o'er the final tomb. 
Farewell ! until the red lightnings of 
Earth's final dissolution, shall fire these 
Heavens, darkened by the wrath of God, because 
Of sin, and shake the world with the terrors 
Of the last judgment. Farewell! until all 
That sleep in earth's common grave, shall hear the 
Voice of God, and receive the just rewards 
Of Eternity ! then shall we meet again. 



THE LAST GREAT DAY. 

Ye harps of angels, begin your mournful 
Dirge in tones of woe. The jubilee is 
Passed away ; the day of mirth is over ; 
Soon past ; for joy counts not her fleeting years. 
Satan's chains have fallen, and wars prevail ; 
Violence, revelry and sedition 
Are heard in the streets ; while murder, revenge, 
And intoxication, destroy the bliss 
Of life, and shake the world with dying groans. 
Servants of the living God, put on the 



1 



356 rice's poetry. 

Helmet of salvation — gird up your loins 

With truth — add the shield of faith, and hold fast 

The sword of God : watch and pray, for the Day 

Is nigh at hand — the day for which earth from 

Chaos rose — for which angels and men were 

Made — the great Day of God's exalted Son. 

Ye fallen angels, thrust in j^our sickles 

And reap — the harvest of sin is fully 

Ripe, and vengeance begins to tread the great 

Winepress of God Almighty's wrath ; for the 

Rich blood of mercy shall plead no longer. 

Hark ! methinks I hear creation's dying 

Pangs. From whence that cloud of darkness — 

those peals 
Of thunder and chains of lightning, that rend 
The air, and shake the world? Why does the sun 
Withdraw his light — the moon wade in blood, and 
As blasted figs the lamps of heaven fall ? 
From whence these yells of wo — the funeral 
Dirge of the sinner's lost hope — his dying 
Wails, which tread on the heels of sorrow, that 
Never end ? Jesus comes in the car 
Of his Divinity ! but how changed ? how 
Unlike the man that died on Calvary? 
No crown of thorns, and bloody scourge, besmear 
His back and sacred temples. He comes in 
The robes of his glory, at whose presence 
The earth is wrapped in flames of fire, and whose 
Power of dissolution makes creation weep. 
The angels of death now flap their baneful 
Wings and range the putrid air in search of 
Prey. The mountains quake, and all the stars of 
Heaven grow dim in lamentation for earth's 
Final groans — sadly revealing their 
Creator's wrath. The loud thunder utters 
His voice, chiming the ocean's troubled roar. 
The long night has come — the dark night of lost 
Spirits, that knows no breaking, no Son of 



rice's poetry. 3-57 

God to cheer its gloom. Heaven's long spurned 

justice, 
Now claims her rights. Earth, bow thyself before 
The Lord, and cry for mercy; for thou art 
Growing old in sin, and all thy glory 
Mourns, and bleeds, and dies. Thou flaming king of 
Day, whose solar light has stood the test of 
Ages, put on thy weeds of mourning ; and 
Thou queen of night, begin to drop thy tears. 
Ye stars ! kind sentinels of heaven, that wing 
Your flight through the fields of ether, and dance 
Along the pavements of the blue sky — sweet 
Watchers of earth, prepare your winding sheets — 
Your lamps are growing dim — 'your disease is 
Mortal — your graves are dug, and God's angels 
Are now ready to bear you to the tomb. 

Where is the choir of God's elect, that dwell 
On earth or Heaven, whose harps shall sing the 
Dying world asleep, and weep behind the 
Funeral of the stars ? What chord shall string 
Your harps, what strains of mourning, what signs of 
Woe, shall tell the deep toned wailings of the 
Damned, and utter forth the plaintive dirge 
Of spirits lost in hell's eternal fire ? 
Far on the left of God's exalted Son, 
I see the dark cloud of fallen spirits 
Hover over the gloomy pit : Mercy 
Withdraws her arm — they sink amid the shrieks 
Of angels lost, where their portion must be 
Scalding tears— the curse of lost hope, and the 
Red glare of undying flames. * * * 



THE LAST DECISION. 

****** Fatal vision ! 
Methought I stood before the judgment seat, 
Naked and pale, the last unsentencM sinner; 
On either side a dread array of angels, 



358 rice's poetry. 

Pure as their Creator — sunder'd wide 
The righteous and the wicked. In the midst. 
Glorious in his wrath, appeared the Judge ! 
Doom'd in my conscience, scarce dar'd I to lift 
My eyes to meet his visage, lest his glance, 
Instant, should hurl me to perdition. 

The books lay open — how my spirit shook 
As list'ning myriads piled on myriads round, 
Expectant stood. On the left, dark demons 
Longing to grasp their prey, and mock and curse 
Another being ever doom'd to share 
Their own unutterable agonies ! 
There a bright band, waiting to strike their harps, 
And hail another soul to endless life. 

I heard the irrevocable sentence ! 
'Twas just ! Instant the never dying worm 
Of keen remorse stuck deep his gnawing fangs 
Within my tortur'd bosom, then the flame 
Of unextinguishable suffering 
Intensely burnt around — upon — within ; 
At that moment the bright seraphic band, 
Shrouded from my sight — was gone forever! 
Oh, as it passed away, and the dark veil. 
Of everlasting blackness drew around, 
I heard the enchanting, blissful harmony 
Of those who soar'd to happier regions ! 
Music sweeter than the exquisite tones 
Produc'd on earth — but each enthrilling note 
Vibrated on my ear with thrilling pangs 
Damned spirits only feel. # * * 

TRUTH AND UNIVERSALISM CON- 
TRASTED. 

UNIVERSALISM. 

When oceans waste and skies in smoke decay, 
Rocks turn to dust and mountains sink away, 
In pond'rous chains shall death be ever bound, 
And hell's grim tyrant feel his dying wound. 



rice's poetry. 359 

But Satan's children reach the heavenly shore, 
To reign in bliss, their father see no more ; 
The raging drunkard shall to glory reel, 
And concubines eternal pleasures feel. 
Bless'd are the misers who depress the poor, 
For they unbounded riches shall secure ; 
Bless'd are all those who scoff at truth divine, 
For all revilers endless glory find. 
Happy those virgins that no oil possess'd, 
For they shall dwell in heaven with the bless'd. 
Bless'd are all felons, who desire to find 
A chance for robbing and to cheat mankind ; 
Such die to live, for God to them has given 
A right to steal, and then to enter Heaven. 
Bless'd be the man whose bowels never move 
With Gospel mercy or with filial love ; 
Bless'd all those warriors who rejoice to fight, 
From seas of blood they soar to worlds of light. 
Go sinner, riot, every crime pursue. 
For crowns of glory shall be sav'd for you ; 
Fear not to walk in sin's polluted way ; 
Live as you please, you 'II gain eternal day. 
The Infidel, who has his Lord denied, 
And all the Gospel treasures long defied. 
Dies without faith, yet soars to worlds on high, 
Where saints are bless'd and angels never die. 
Serpent of old, thou gav'st a just reply 
To ancient Eve, " Ye shall not surely die." 

TRUTH. 

But let my reader, in the fear of God, 
Leave the broad road in which the devil trod! 
With Satan's lies the Savior's truth compare, 
And see if all men endless glory share. 
The adamantine sinner must go down, 
In chains of hell must be forever bound, 
Except he to his Lord and Savior flies. 
Repents of sin and labors for the skies. 
But why do men the Bible truth deny ^ 



360 kick's poetry. 

The imprecations of God's word defy ? 
Evade that part which justly damns the soul? 
Believe a lie, that mercy saves the wholo ? 
False faith, indeed ! for such no proof is given, 
By Gospel news sent down to man from Heaven. 
This is the faith congenial to the heart, 
Built up by Satan, to deceive a part; 
Until the pulse of life by death expire, 
The culprit lost in hell's eternal ire. 
Awake ! O reader, in God's truth believe ; 
The Devil's falsehood can but make you grieve : 
Hold fast true faith, while mercy's arms extend, 
And rise to glory when your life shall end ; 
For if there is a New Jerusalem, 
Where servants of the Lord are gathered home. 
There is a hell where waves of terror roll. 
Destroy the sinner and torment the soul. 
Devils and men may lead mankind astray. 
Add to God's word and from it take away ; 
Yet they no portion in life's book shall claim, 
But down must sink amid the burning flame. 
Reader, beware ! upon this life depends 
Abodes of glory or a place with fiends : 
Repent, believe, obey high Heaven's command, 
And dwell with angels in fair Canaan's land. 
If in the world of woe, where devils groan. 
And damned spirits do their case bemoan, 
Thy soul shall enter — no Savior shall appear 
"With news to pardon, or rich grace to cheer. 
All hope is lost, thy spirit ever dies. 
Reflects on mercies past, pours forth her cries. 
Wails in lost hope, but finds no listening ear 
To calm her waves and chase away her fear. 



RICE S POETRY. 



361 




HOPE. 

All cheering Hope ! rich Gem in Heaven bom ! 
Reviving minstrel of the soul forlorn ; 
While sunk beneath affliction's pond'rous thrall, 
Clothed in deep mourning with the fun'ral pall; 
When borne beneath oppression's direful rod, 
Hope leads the pris'ner in the road to God. 
While death's dark curtain spreads its dreary sway, 
And earth-born light withdraws her faintest ray; 
When chills of death-sweat on the brow shall stand ; 
And lips fast trembling by the tyrant's band; 
When all the powers of life sink in the tomb, 
And turn to slumber in primeval gloom ; 
Hope points the soul across deep Jordan's wave, 
And buoys her up in triumph o'er the grave ; 
Empowers the spirit as the eagle's flight, 
To mount the regions of eternal light. 

When man shall hear the trumpet's awful sound, 
And wake from his long slumber under ground; 
When rocks shall melt and earth's last embers die. 
And vengeance thunder from the exalted sky ; 
All nature tremble at the direful rod, 
Obey the mandate of Almighty God ! 
Hope then shall set the ransomed pris'ner free, 
And give him fruit from Life's immortal Tree ; 
Shall cheer his spirit as she onward flies, 
Through realms of bliss, while groaning nature dies. 
When sinners lost shall plunge the fires of hell, 



31 



362 rice's poetry. 

With taunting demons must forever dwell ; 
The pilgrim's Hope shall swell the ransomed songf, 
And Avorship God among the heav'nly throng ; 
The bread of life shall cheer his deathless soul, 
While angels live and crystal waters roll. 

From whence this Hope for mortals frail as man? 
From whence the source this blazing star began ? 
Awake my soul, on mercy's pinions fly. 
And view the Victim who for man did die ; 
See through the medium of Mount Calvary, 
By faith's strong hold the sons of men are free ; 
See through those wounds that run in streams of blood, 
The soul 's redeemed and learns the way to God ; 
View the deep groans across the Kidron stream. 
And nature mourning at the direful scene ; 
Hear the last sigh, which heaved the Savior's breast, 
That man might live in Heaven with the blest. 
Here Hope began — rich jewel born on high; 
Inspires the soul with joys that never die ; 
Sets free the pris'ner from the wails of hell ; 
Makes meet the spirit with its God to dwell. 

Martyrs o^ Jesus — ransomed friends of Heaven, 
Confirmed in Hope — for truth your lives were given! 
Through seas of blood you 've ga'ned the port of rest, 
Have braved the foe, and with your Master blest! 
No more you 're called to wade sin's raging flood ! 
No more shall Satan's children drink your blood I 
No more shall fiends of God your bosoms swell. 
With deep-toned anguish from the waves of hell ! 
Your race is run — all tears are wiped away, 
And Hope shall mingle with eternal day ! 
The bliss of angels shall your souls inspire. 
While God shall reign, and demons rage in fire ! 
While Hope expinng shall your foes destroy, 
You '11 shout exemption in a world of joy ; 
On angel's pinions take your deathless flight, 
And feel the raptures of immortal light. 



kick's poetry. 363 

THE SIN OF INTEMPERANCE. 

How great the sin, — what immorality 
Lies here ? It is the death of honor, ere 
Nature dies, or vital blood in silence 
Sleeps. Is this the greatness of man ? If so 
I ask deliverance from such a noble. 
Yet in reality most vulgar title. 
Is there no infamy in the vestige ? 
If not let us adore the practical 
Theorem of inebriation, and 
Spurn the track no more, sadly marked by the 
Meandering traveller. 

Awake to 
Reason, O my fellow men ! behold youi 
Surrounding country, and see the objects 
Of Intemperance ! mark their vulgar course, — 
Their ample treason to both God and man. 
See the misery they procure by their 
Atrocious excess ; — disgrace their offspring ; 
And grasp the burning flame. 

By this bane of 
Empires, how many nobles fall from their 
Morality, — how many logicians lose 
Their reason, — how many worthy minds are 
Blasted, — how many immortal spirits 
Shun the way of peace and happiness on 
Earth, and sail with rapid tide on the broad 
River to hell ? 

Let those beings who have 
Not grasped the tinctured poison, take solemn 
Warning by the sad fall of surrounding 
Multitudes ; and shun the fatal cup, which 
Thousand sup to their eternal ruin ! 
Let the drunkard forego his wrongs by deep 
Repentance for deviation, and he may 
Restore his morality, and save his 
Soul from the jaws of devouring fire. 

Be wise, O fellow youth ! and flee from that 
Sin, which will condemn the delinquent at 
The bar of God with an eternal doom. 



364 rice's poetry. 

THE DESTROYING ANGEL. 

The Pale White Horse without remorse 

Appears in ghastly form ; 
His way is dark just like the barque 

Before the driving storm ! 
Like torrid night with baleful light 

In sanguine met'ors glare ; 
Or burning ire volcanic fire 

Spreads through the calid air. 

Direful and swift the black clouds drift, 

And all their anguish bring! 
Vast numbers slain bestrew the plain, 

To slake a thirsty king ! 
But still a pall, far worse than all 

Surrounds my gloomy path, 
Since I arose from my repose, — 

Slave of my Master's wrath ! 

Angel of God ! hold fast the rod, 

And scourge earth's vast domain ; 
Her sons with shame have spurn'd my name, 

And pierced the Savior slain ! 
The low and tall are doomed to fall; — 

Thy poniard shall destroy ! 
Their treason great has sealed their fate, 

And buried all their joy. 

Master I go, and fill with woe 

The nations far and near ! 
And as I pass like falling grass 

The dying quake with fear ! 
Sad wails I raise in wild amaze 

From victims as I fly ! 
The orphans' groans, and widows' moans 

Send forth their plaintive cry ! 

Kings on their thrones my name shall own, 
And fear approaching death ! 



rice's poetry 365 

Under my wings, which venom bring, 
In haste shall yield their breath ! 

Angel am I, in Speed I fly, 
My mission is to kill ; 

The infant small and giant tall 
Alike the grave shall fill. 

My pow'r shall stand by God's command ; — 

My darts of poison fly. 
Until the slave shall rend the grave. 

And death itself shall die ! 
Then hear O earth ! forsake your mirth ! 

"■ Obey your Maker's nod ; 
From courts above implore his love, 

And shun his awful rod. 

Awake ! awake ! my wings I shake ! 

From your deep slumber rise ; 
Turn to the Lord with one accord ; 

By faith ascend the skies ; 
For my dread power will make you cower, 

And cause your hearts to bleed ; 
Why then should man reject the plan 

God deigned his soul to feed ? 

Beyond life's hour no blasting shower 

Shall rend the Christian's breast ; 
Death is the gate which ends his fate, 

And gives his spirit rest ! 
Loud from the sky God's voice shall fly, 

And wake the sleeping dust ; 
The crested wave, and ev'ry grave 

Shall yield their sacred trust. 

Then death shall end, and joys shall blend 

On Zion's peaceful shore ; 
The Angel's dart, that rends the heart. 

Shall slay mankind no more ! 



/ 

366 

Then groans and tears, and ghastly fears, 
Which here inspire with pain, 

Shall lose their source, and end their course 
Through God the Savior slain. 

Then angels' songs shall bless the throngs, 

That bow before the throne ! 
And Eden's joy shall saints employ 

Restored by grace alone ! 
" Glory" they cry, as on they fly 

" To God the Father's Son !" 
For by his loss when on the cross 

The sinner's crown was won. 



ACROSTIC ON JOHN KNOX SHAW, 

J...ohn ! let thy vision on that period run, 
0...'erlook the world and soar beyond the sun; 
H...ear the trumpet's sound, — see the world on fire, 
N...aiure's deep mourning at the judgment ire. 

K...now well this truth the moon is turned to blood 
N...OW sun and stars lament the rueful flood I 
0...'er the wide world the conflagration runs ! 
X...erxes long dead now from his grave returns. 

S...ee o'er the earth unnumbered millions rise ! 
H...ear the last trumpet from the vaulted skieS ! 
A. ..round the judgment seat they soon appear, 
W...ith hearts of rapture, or lost angels' fear. 



DEATH OF HARRISON. 

The battle's foug'ht, the vict'ry won, 
The garland placed on Harrison, — 

He was the people's choice ! 
They put upon his royal head 
Honors that shall survive the dead, 

Which made his friends rejoice. 



IlICES POETRY. 367 

Brave Harrison is here no more, 
His earthly reign was quickly o'er, 

By death was put to flight ! 
His tent was mortal, down it fell, 
Thus all his motives, e'er so well, 
Sank in the gloom of night. 

So frail is man, that ev'ry crown 
Of earthly nature tumbles down, — 

All glory soon is fled ! 
His fame in time can only last 
By those who do his death surpass. 

But this can't reach the dead. 

All things are silent in the grave. 
Where sleeps the royal mighty brave ;- 

No honors reach his ear ! 
Yet long his name on record stands, 
Because he led the martial bands 

Triumphant from all fear. 

All things are fleeting here below, 
On wheels of time they swiftly go, 

And share one common grave ! 
No earthly honor e'er so high 
Exempts us from the fate to die. 

Nor can one moment save. 

Then let our hearts forget to dwell 

On themes where waves of Jordan swell. 

And spread their fun'ral pall ! 
Hope claims the prize within the veil. 
Where hell's expiring hosts shall fail 
' To scale mount Zion's wall. 



THE CHOLERA. 
The Cholera's destructive car 
Sweeps onward to the tomb ! 



368 eice's poetey. 

How quick it does death's gate unbar, 

And show to man his doom ! 
Great God ! this scourge at thy command 

Slays millions of our race ; 
From ocean to the distant land 

It runs with speedy pace. 

The atmosphere inspired with death, 

Appears in dread array ; 
To which the living yield their breath. 

And pass from time away : 
The rich and poor — the small and great— 

The drunkard and the knave, 
And warrior in his martial state, 

Descend the dreary grave. 

The monarch on his regal throne. 

With thousands at his nod, 
Has had his dust and vestments strown, 

All by the scourge of God ! 
The giant like the lofty oak. 

The winds no longer brave, 
Falls by the hand he did provoke, 

And finds no power to save. 

The maiden in her glowing hue, 

Adorned with raiment white ; 
And blithesome beaus that sin pursue 

Sink in the shades of night ! 
Thn lovers bound by dearest ties. 

In haste are sundered wide ; 
And misers grasping for a prize. 

By Cholera have died. 

The hunters seeking after gold 

In California's mine, 
Have often failed as I've been told, 

And made the grave their shrine I 



RICE*S POETRY. 369 

The negroes bound in sordid chains, 

Who for their masters toil, 
Have felt the scourge's mortal pains, 
And thus manured the soil. 

The murderer no law has found, 

And robber strolling free, 
Have by the chains of death been bound, 

And lost their liberty : 
The infidel that spurned the love 

Of him who wore the crown. 
Has been constrained to own the Dove, 

And feel his piercing frown. 

Unconscious of the fatal dart 

We glory in our shame 
'Till forced at last God does impart 

The justice of his name ! 
The dreadful poison of the soul 

Invokes Jehovah's rod: — 
How long shall sin our hearts control. 

And keep us far from God ? 

May we approach his mercy seat. 

To him our sins confess, 
'Till our vile hearts shall learn to beat 

For streams of righteousness : 
Then shall our anchor be secure. 

Let life or death prevail ; 
Our spirits' glory shall endure 

When sun and moon shall fail. 



LIFE TEMPORAL AND ETERNAL. 

Just like the falling of a star. 

Or eagles rapid flight ; 
Or vapors rising from afar. 

Or dew drops of the night : 



370 rice's poetry. 

Just like the spring in verdant hue, 

Or bubbles of the wave, 
Does man his span of life pursue, 

And sink into the grave. 

As shooting stars are seen no more. 

Or eagles soar away ; 
As waves are hushed from shore to shore, 

Or night is turned to day ; 
So man in all his glory dies, 

His mortal clay must fail ; 
But if he labors for the skies, 

He will in God prevail. 

His soul shall brave the wreck of time, 

And dwell in weal or woe, 
When all the works of earth's frail clime 

Shall back to ruin go. 
The soul on wings of grace conveyed 

Above deep Jordan's tide. 
Shall be in garments white arrayed 

By God the Crucified. 

Then mortal pain shall pass away, 

And death itself shall die ; 
The spirit claim her dying clay. 

And live with God on high : 
They both shall wear an angel's crown, 

And vie with saints above ; 
No more to feel a Father's frown. 

Or want a Saviors' love. 

But if the sinner here shall shun 

The Savior's smiling face. 
And gird himself for death to run, 

And spurn the means of grace; 
He shall be bound in hellish chains. 

To rage in seas of fire ; 
Where blood shall never wash his stains, 

To shun his Father's ire. 



rice's poetry. 371 

FAREWELL SARAH. 

Farewell, Sarah ! thou art sleeping 

In the dark and dreary grave ; 
Earthly friends are round thee weeping, 

Tost by time's destructive wave. 

Like the lovely flower that closes 

Ere its transient day is o'er ; 
Or the gale that soon reposes, 

Thou dost rest, to weep no more. 

Who would break thy dreamless slumber, — 

Rob the grave of sacred trust ? 
There no cares of life shall cumber. 

There no passions move thy dust. 

While our friendship is resigning 
Earth to earth from whence it came, 

All our broken hearts are twining 
Garlands to thy worthy name. 

Hope expands her golden pinions. 

Faith her piercing eye extends, 
Looks be3'ond death's dark dominions 

Where thy glory ne'er shall end. 

Here thy mortal course was fleeting. 

Oft beset with tears and woe ; 
Now the angels thou art greeting, 

Where the saints of Jesus go. 

There in spirit land supernal. 

Where the holy cherubs sing, 
Thou dost rest with the Eternal, 

And thy crown to Jesus bring. 



THE FINAL DOOMSDAY. 

Awake my muse the final dirge to sing ; 
Behold the scene expiring worlds shall bring ; 



372 rice's poetry. 

Hark ! hark ! I hear the last loud thunders sound, 
Which shake the world and rend the solid ground 

Now the volcanoes by caloric ire 
Inflame the air, and set the world on fire, 
Dry up the deep, — begin their gen'ral flames, 
And plainly prove a God Almighty reigns. 

Hark ! the dread angel wings the vaulted sky ! 
Sounds the alarm through heavens far on high ! 
All planets in the solar system feel 
The voice of God, and from their order reel. 

Nature in mourning at the shock appears. 
The planets tremble in their rolling spheres ; 
The stars from their established motions fall ; 
Here drops an atom, there a heavenly ball. 

The angel swears that time shall be no more ! 
The news is felt along the trembling shore ! 
The oceans deep in raging madness foam ; 
All nature feels her last expiring groan ! 

The Sun, that from the birth of time has shone, 
Now wades in darkness, and descends his throne ' 
The beauties of the Moon have fled away. 
And every orb has lost its lucid ray. 

In awful pomp the Judge assumes his seat 
While Adam's race bow down before his feet; 
Devils in chains around his throne appear. 
And sinners tremble with eternal fear. 

Lost men and angels now must meet their doom, 
Must enter hell and find the spirit's tomb ! 
" Go" saith the Judge, " and plunge the lake of fire 
Go drink the vengeance of my Father's ire." 

•' Ye bless'd of God in rapture raise your eyes ! 
On wings of faith ascend the upper skies I 
Go dwell with seraphs in the church above, 
A.nd sing what angel's can't, — redeeming love." 



ei€e's poetry. 373 

HARRIET'S ACROSTIC. 
H...ast thou surveyed the sorrows of our race, 
A...nd viewed the scourge, that runs with speedy 

pace ! 
R...epeird by death, thy colleagues fast retire ; 
R...esume the grave, and leave all earth's desire. 

I...ndulgent friend, thy prospects may be fair ; 
E...ach flying moment free from all despair ; 
T...hy youthful form, though now with grace bedeck'd, 
P...er death's dark shades may suddenly be wreck'd. 

E...thereal Light ! O let thy spirit find ! 
A...ngelic bliss cheer thy immortal mind : 
R...efin'd by Jesus, thou may'st bid farewell ; 
L...ook up on high, and with thy Savior dwell. 



ROSANNAH'S EXIT. 

Ere four short years had passed away, 

Rosannah bloomed to die ; 
Bid earth farewell to wear a crown 

In shining worlds on high. 

No more her star-lit eyes shall blaze, 

Her father's face to greet ; 
No more her mother's kind return. 

Her grateful heart shall meet. 

No more shall gushing tears distil 
Her sighs and grief to tell; 

For Love Divine expelled her fears, 
When she on earth did dwell. 

Her feeble pulse of joy and woe, 
Comprised her fleeting race ; 

From earth's frail regions soon she flew 
Her Savior to embrace. 



32 



374 rice's poetry. 

Her day was transient here below, 
As dew-drops of the night ; 

For angels' vans she left her clay, 
To vie in worlds of light. 

Nor shall her clay forever sleep, 
For God shall bid it rise ; 

Then soul and body both shall meet 
To wing celestial skies. 

Hail holy one, by blood made free 
From sin and ev'ry pain ; 

Though we shall see thy face no more, 
Thou shah with Jesus reign. 



DEATH IN THE SABBATH SCHOOL. 

I do not hear or see them now, 

They've left the place they filled, 
We miss each light and sunny brow, 

And voices sweet that thrilled ; 
In vain we look for smile or mirth, 

That often cheered our way. 
They all have gone and left the earth, 

While in the morn of day. 

But few short Sabbath days have sped. 

Since they forsook our band, 
To number with the silent dead 

And view the spirit land ; 
Their dust now slumbers in the tomb, 

But Jesus' cheering ray 
Has shed around its mournful gloom. 

The light of endless day. 

No more they'll meet on earth to praise 

With us their voices blend, 
But tune their harps for angels' lays 

Where Sabbaths never end ; 



rice's poetky. 375 

Their names have lost their record here, 

But thanks to Jesus' love, 
They by the stamp of gold appear 

In life's fair book above. 

No more their eager footsteps spring 

Their teacher's face to meet. 
No more to him their lessons bring 

With pleasure to repeat ; 
No, never 'till that day of doom, 

When the last trump shall sound, 
And ev'ry victim leave the tomb, 

And death itself be bound. 

Then, shall they all in rapture see 

Each other's face once more, 
And worship Him who made them free 

From waves of hell that roar ; 
In Jesus was their vict'ry found 

O'er Jordan's raging flood, 
For all their sins which did abound 

Were washed away with blood. 

Then they shall see their Master's face, 

And wing the ether skies, 
Shall ever sing of his free grace. 

By which their spirits rise ; 
No more shall pain and death destroy 

Their peace with angels pure, 
But rivers of eternal joy 

Their flaming eyes secure. » 

While they look back on days of yore. 

When they on earth did meet. 
And felt rich streams of mercy pour, 

While bowed at Jesus' feet ; 
In loud hosannas, lo they cry ! 

To God the Father's Son, 
*' In Sabbath Schools we learned to spy 

The crown on Calv'ry won.' 



9^76 kice's poetry. 

ENVY, THE FOULEST WHELP OF SIN. 
From whence these fiends that rise my song to kill? 

Are they the rowdies of incarnate hell? 
Servants of wrath under the Serpent's will, 

That played the devil when our parent's fell? 

Ashamed of light, in deep oblivion's shade 
The treach'rous lawyer hides his curly head ; 

Like savage foes he keeps in ambush laid. 
Until he dreams his harmless victim dead. 

Nature's own dwarf, seeking a poet's crown, 

Whose eyes are blood-shot with the sparkling 
glass ; 

Once claimed to hold an editor's renown. 
Must with the hopeless bacchanalian class. 

Next comes the critic in sheep's clothing dressed 
Unjustly called True Wesleyan by name ; 

Pours forth his satire with unjust request. 
And spreads his fiction with a demon's flame. 

Such are the fiends that hiss at ev'ry gem 

0£ sacred poets, lit by Gospel fire ; 
Who fain would pluck from man that diadem. 

Which saves the soul from hell's eternal ire. 

Who next shall rise my volume to destroy. 
Comprised of labor, love, and ardent zeal, 

May rest assured my soul I will employ 
To plead my Savior may his pardon seal. 

Love is a gem that fires the Christian's heart, 
It took its birth a native of the skies ; 

Through faith divine it shall God's grace impart, 
When ocean's waste, and earth's creation dies. 

Envy ! foul whelp of sin ! the blackest pall 
That ever stained the beating heart of man! 



rice's poetry. 377 

Sanctioned to make God's flaming wrath to fall, 
And bind the foe in one eternal ban ! 

Though critics hiss, — though hostile demons rise, 
And strike the blow intent on virtue's fall, 

My numbers long shall echo for the skies, 
And tell for Him who freely died for all. 

Yes, if God's truth shall wield my sacred rhyme, 
No archer's arrow dipped in baneful dye 

Shall quell my song, — it shall remain through time, 
And aid the lost to shining worlds on high. 



THOUGHTS OF HEAVEN. 

No finite knowledge can define 
The glories that through Jesus shine 

In worlds of light above ; 
Alone by faith we can command 
A view of that celestial land. 
Bedecked by God's Almighty hand. 

And crowned with perfect love. 

No man hath heard such music sweet, 
As that where saints and angels meet. 

And in one chorus sing ; 
United in a heav'nly choir, 
At once they touch each sacred lyre, 
In rapture praise their worthy Sire, 

Their Savior, and their Kmg. 

No mortal eye that light can bear, 
Which sinners saved from bondage share. 

Enclosed in Jesus' fold ; 
In all the beauties of the Dove 
They feast on angel's food above. 
And slake their thirst on streams of love, 

No seraph can unfold. 



'32 



fm 



Made free from sin, and ev*ry foe, 
They range the fields, secure from woe, 

In pure celestial skies ; 
On living pastures, always green 
They feed, and drink the healing stream. 
Where crystal waters ever teem 

With new and rich supplies. 

The days of sorrow there shall end. 
And ev'ry saint his praise shall blend 

With spirits clothed in white ; 
The sun no more shall give his ray. 
Nor shall the moon her light display. 
For Jesus through an endless day 

Shall be the source of light. 

What joys await the Christian there. 
Who does his Master's armor bear, 

Hope cheers his troubled breast ; 
Though persecutions bring him low. 
Though aliens strike their cruel blow. 
And death his fatal dart shall throw. 

Yet Heaven shall be his rest. 

Then let the blood-bought soul arise, 
And bend her course to yonder skies. 

The place where angels dwell ; 
Think of those mansions far on high. 
Where God's redeemed shall never die, 
But on their golden pinions fly. 

His ransomed love to tell. 

All hail ! my Savior, angels hail ! 
Soon I shall end my dying wail, 

And worlds celestial see ; 
Ere long shall this frail prison break. 
Then shall my soul in Jesus wake, 
And of the spirit land partake. 

To all eternity. 



rice's poetry. 379 

THE PAST AND FUTURE. 

Thou dread of man ! relentless Past ! 

Strong bolts secure thy dark domain ! 
The angel death has bound thee fast 

In deep oblivion's pulseless reign. 
Far in thy distant realms withdrawn 

Old empires sit in sullen gloom ! 
Near three score ages past and gone 

Lie deep within thy silent tomb. 

Lo, childhood with its var'ous mirth, — 

Manhood and youth, — all kiss the ground ! 
Millions of creatures, — once on earth, 

Are in thy dark dominions bound ! 
In thee are found my better years ; — 

Thou hast my friends, — the good, — the kind ! — 
All gone to thee, mid pain, and tears ! — 

The worthy form, — exalted mind. 

My spirit yearns them back to bring, — 

Those lovely ones, with soul intense ; 
And struggles hard thy bolts to wring. 

And force thy dreamless captives thence ! 
I strive in vain ! thy gates deny 

To all but those who hence depart ; — 
No sigh of woe, — no streaming eye 

Can bring them to my bleeding heart. 

Beauty and excellence unknown 

Alike in thy deep caverns hide : — 
As rain-drops on the earth are strown, 

So man is lost in all his pride. 
The great and good, — the mighty Drave, 

And giant form, all slumber there ; 
The meanest dwarf, and vilest knave 

Do in thy gloomy caverns share. 

But soon shall end thy wonted course ; — 
The word of God shall free the slave ; — 



380 rice's poetry. 

The angel's final trump shall force 
The sleeping captive from the grave ' 

Then shall those long lost ones appear 
In triumph o'er their flying foe ! 

No more their earthly prison fear ! 
No more remain in speechless woe. 

The soul that learned the way to God, 

Ere to the Past a victim fell, 
Escapes the sin-avenging rod, 

And scales the mount where angels dwell! 
But' the lone culprit, strongly bound 

Beneath the law of sacred ire, 
Must go where demons lost are found. 

And plunge the lake of endless fire. 

Then let all victims chained in sin 

Obey that voice that wakes the dead, 
By faith in God be wise to win 

A crown, when earth's vain glory 's fled. 
What if this mortal frame shall die, 

And sink to dust from whence it came, 
The soul and body soon shall fly 

Far, far beyond earth's final flame. 



JESUS REFUGE FROM THE TEMPEST. 

Jesus, Savior of my soul ! 

To thy bleeding side I fly, 
While the waves around me roll, 

And the lightning rends my sky. 
Hide me, blessed Savior hide, 

'Till the tempest shall be o'er ; 
Guide me to thy haven, guide, 

Where the breakers roll no more. 

Lord, I fain would learn of thee. 
Thou art all my soul's desire ; 



rice's poetry. 381 

Help me from the tempter flee, 

Fill me with thy sacred fire. 
By thy blood thou didst atone, 

That my spirit might be blest ; 
Let thy saving arm alone 

Bear me to eternal rest. 

Savior, thou art all I need ; 

Love so great no man has found ; 
Let me on thy banquet feed. 

Free to all the world around. 
Thou art holy, just and true, 

I by sin exposed to pain ; 
May I truth divine pursue. 

And through faith the crown obtain. 

Thou art full of saving grace, 

Grace to wash my sins away ; 
Let me see thy smiling face 

While I here on earth shall stay. 
Thou alone the fountain art, 

Help me drink its healing stream, 
Which shall make my broken heart 

In eternal glory beam. 



ASSURANCE OF HEAVEN. 

Death may destroy my body now. 

And bear it to the silent tomb ; 
Yet God my spirit shall endow, 

And save it from lost angels' doom. 
By his exulting grace I'll soar. 

And O'er the grisly monarch ride, 
Though waves of death around me roar, 

I'll sail above the raging tide. 

God has prepared a crown for me, 
Where golden treasures never fade, 



382 rice's poetry. 

And I that living gem shall see, 
For on my head it shall be laid 

Nor was that crown for me alone, 
Prepared by God's eternal Son, 

But he for all did sin atone, 
For all has free salvation won. 

Jesus my Lord shall guide me safe. 

While I shall over Jordan sail ; 
He '11 nerve my waiting soul to brave, 

The raging surges of the gale. 
He is my everlasting Friend ; — 

AH hell's dark regions rave in vain ; 
His own right arm shall me defend. 

While devils wail in endless pain. 



TIME SHALL BE NO LONGER. 

As I was musing on the days of youth, 
My mind reverted to a solemn truth ; 
Oh, what is Time ? I to the faction ci^ed ; 
"It is our god," they instantly replied. 

I asked the miser, who depressed the poor, 
To gain earth's mammon, finite to endure. 
Oh, what is Time ? He trembles at the sight ; 
For all his riches take a speedy flight. 

I asked the careless sinner, who had trod 
The ways of sin against a holy God, 
Oh what is Time ? " I've lost it and must share 
The wail of demons in their wild despair." 

I asked the Savior, who upon the tree 
Was crucified and put to death for me, 
Oh, what is Time ? " He spoke upon it hangs 
Thy paradise, or hell's eternal pangs.'* 

I asked the exiled spirit, which had found 

The second death, where darkness spread around. 



rice's poetry. 383 

Oh, what is Time ? *'I've lost it was his cry. 
And in sad anguish must forever die." 

I asked the Christian, who had found the shore 
Where sin expands her sable wings no more. 
Oh, what is Time ? " Time was the race I run, 
T* gain the prize of God's eternal Son." 

I asked the holy angel, who shall stand 

One foot upon the sea and one on land, 

Oh, what is Time ? " Time is, but ►shall not be ; 

Time must be lost for vast eternity." 



THE STRANGER GREETING AMERICA. 

Hail thrice happy land ! the abode of the free 

With her Banner of Stars, rich floating in gold, 
Whose empire o'ershadows from oceans to sea. 

And free to the Stranger her gateways unfold. 
The land of the river, the land of the lake. 

And mountains and valleys in nature's own pride, 
Where blood of the Fathers their fetters did break, 

And purishase the soil for whose freedom they died. 

The base of thy Standard the marble has stayed. 

To brave every foe, invading thy soil ; 
Thy cities and hamlets, in glory arrayed. 

Abundantly pay for thy champions' toil. 
Thy Southern dominions with treasures abound, 

Inviting the stranger from regions afar ; 
Thy ample deposits, the hunters have found. 

Called landscapes of gold, and the world's morning 
star. 

Thou Beacon of empires I though wide be the main 
That severs thy glory from my native land, 

I hear from thy heroes, the sons of the slain, 
A welcome for aliens to join their strong band. 

As long as thy waters to oceans shall run, 

And the fountain of light his beams shall display, 



384 kice's poetry. 

Be the hearts of thy children united as one, 

And Peace shed her rays like the sun at noon-day. 

Then shall distant nations with envious gaze 

Behold thy exemption from birthright of kings, 
Then shall they desire in thy glory to blaze, 

And rush for thy Banner on mercy's broad wings. 
Thou Star of Republics I the Light of the world ! 

A guide to all kingdoms now groaning in chains ; 
By thy rich example shall tyrants be hurled, 

As long as the Flag of thy Union remains. 



GOD'S OMNIPOTENCE. 

Almighty Power ! whose vast abode 
Declares the glory of a God ! 

Thy space is far beyond the road. 
Where stars obey their Maker's nod. 

To Thee, while the archangels sing. 
Behind their wings their faces veil ; 

And countless hosts their homage bring, 
As they around thy banner sail. 

Thy name is floating on the breeze, — 
All heaven obey thy dread command ; 

From stars above, to earth and seas. 
All things are subject to thy hand. 

When man had lost his smiling God, 
Was by his wrath from Eden driven ' 

No mortal arm could stay his rod. 

And bring lost sinners back to heaven. 

What can this earth and ashes do ? 

We would this mighty King adore ! 
From courts above his mercy flew, 

And on us did salvation pour. 



rice's poetry. 886 

Great God I the earth has heard thy fame 
And worms profess thy worthy praise ; 

But the vast glories of thy name, 
Unnumbered millions fail to raise. 



THE EXCELLENCE OF CHRIST. 

could I all the glories tell, 

Of Him who saved my soul from hell 

When on the cross he died ! 
I'd soar and touch the sacred lyre, 
With angels praise my worthySire, 

My God, the Crucified. 

I'd sing the blood he spilt for me, 
My ransom made upon the tree, 

To save from wrath divine ! 
I'd sing the treasures of his grace, 
And view with joy his smiling face 

In matchless glory shine. 

I'd sing the excellence he bears, - 
The beauty of that crown he wears 

While seated on his throne ! 
Lit up by Heaven's brightest rays, 
With seraphs I would join to praise, 

And make his virtue known. 

Soon I shall heave my final sigh, 
Then shining cherubs from on high 

Will bear me home to rest ! 
There with my Savior, Brother, Friend, 
I'll sing that song which ne'er shall end, 

" Redemption," with the blest. 

THE JUDGE ON HIS THRONE. 

Behold he comes I the Judge severe ! 
His final trumpet shakes the ground ' 



33 



386 rice's poetry. 

The graves expand, — the dead appear, 
His judgment seat assemble round. 

Descending in his rapid car, 

All nations press his shining throne ! 

His voice shall ev'ry grave unbar. 

And ev'ry tongue his name shall own. 

Hark ! hark ! I hear the angel choir, 
Escort the flaming Son of God ! 

His piercing eyes, and burning ire, 
Declare the vengeance of his rod. 

In endless death his thunders roar ! 

They pierce the guilty sinner's ear ! 
Make hell's dark waves to lash the shore, 

And all its victims quake with fear. 

But saints redeemed shall shout his praise. 
Their anthems echo through the skies ! 

They on his face shall ever gaze. 
As they to golden mansions rise. 

Let us this awful Judge adore, 

Whose arm alone the lost can save ! 

That when his flaming wrath shall pour. 
Our souls may flee the spirit's grave. 

THE ROCK CHRIST JESUS. 

Lord, why do I forget 

Thy pard'ning love to me ? 
The nail, the spear, the sweat, 

Thy last sad agony ? 
Though Jesus died to save, 

I am a captive led ! 
Lord, calm the pond'rous wave, 

That beats around my head. 

When grief weighs down my heart, 
And cares, or fears distress. 



rice's poetry. Mf 

Jesus thy grace impart, 
For thou alone canst bless ! 

! lead me to the Rock, 
That Rock once cleft for me, 

Which saves thy chosen flock 
Above life's raging sea. 

Free from the v^orld's vain care, 

I would forever rest, 
And with my Savior share 

The comforts of his breast. 
My Jesus thou art mine, 

My faith has brought thee near ; 

1 feel thy love divine, 

Dispel my raging fear. 



THE TIME OF DEATH. 

Flow'rs have their time to fall, 
And leaves to fade by Autumn's freezing breath, 

And Sun to set — but all 
Seasons are thine, thou mighty victor Death ! 

The feast foretells its hour. 
Its time of mirth — its gaiety, and wine ; 

But soon shall come thy pow'r 
Death ! and claim all earth-born glory thine. 

The day is made of care. 
The eve for social converse round the hearth, 

The night for rest, and pray'r ; 
But all time is thine, — thou might'est of earth. 

Youth like the blooming rose 
May seem to be too brilliant for decay ; — 

But thou art none of those 
That wait meridian bloom, to seize their prey. 

We know when ships shall start. 
When summer birds shall cross the raging sea, 



888 rice's poetry. 

When fields shall food impart ; 
But who can tell the hour to look for thee ? 

Is it when Spring appears 
To tell us where the breaking rose-buds lie ? 

Or when the lilly sears ? 
One time they have — all times are ours to die. 

Thou art where foe meets foe, 
Where cannon thunder on the battle field, 

Where streams of life-blood flow ; — 
There, hostile victims to thy sceptre yield. 

Thou art where surges foam, 
Where music melts upon the ravished ear ! 

Thou art where strangers roam, 
And beasts of prey inspire their hearts with fear. 

Thou art where friend meets friend, 
Where lovers hail each others fond embrace ; 

Thou art where lightnings rend. 
Where ev'ry ill destroys the human race. 

Flow'rs have their time to fall, 
And leaves to fade by Autumn's freezing breath, 

And Sun to set — but all 
Seasons are thine, thou mighty victor Death ! 



BROTHERLY LOVE. 

My Lord, 'tis beautiful to see 

Those friendly brethren all unite, 
Their cheerful hearts in love agree. 

While angels view the joyful sight. 
They drink the bliss of Mercy's spring, 

AVhich flows to ev'ry waiting soul. 
And on hope's bright enchanting wing, 

They feel the living waters roll. 

'Tis like the oil of odor sweet, 

That run down Aaron's hoary head ; 



rice's poetrt. 88®^ 

The falling drops perfumed his feet, 
And on his raiment virtue spread. 

Tis pleasant as the shining dew, 
That falls upon mount Zion's hill, 

To see God's people all pursue 
The road that meets his holy will. 

The world may rage in all their spite, 

Yet God's dear children should agree ; 
Should in the bonds of faith unite, 

'Till from their mortal prisons free. 
And when life's fleeting scenes are o'er. 

And earthly glory droops to die, 
God's saints shall claim fair Eden's shore, 

And bask where golden cherubs fly. 



PRAISE FOR REDEMPTION. 

Let biased heathen chime their songs 
In honor to some fictions God ; 

But to the Lord my praise belongs, 
AVho has the bloody winepress trod. 

Lo, the Redeemer bleeds and dies 
To save a world from gaping hell ! 

From Joseph's tomb I see him rise, 
That man may with his angels dwell. 

While God's eternal justice rose, 
To drive a world to endless pain ! 

The Father's Son did interpose, 
And was for rebel sinners slain. 

0, what hast thou my Savior done ? 

To thee shall lasting honors rise ! 
Thy arm has free salvation won. 

And made man welcome to the skies. 

Thy glory on the morning's wing. 
Shall take its flight creation round ; 



'33 



S90 rice's poetry. 

And all the hosts above shall sing, 
" Redemption for lost man is found." 

Hail Holy Light ! immortal Beam ! 

The Father's co-eternal Son ! 
No blood but thine could man redeem, 

And teach him hell's deep gulf to shun. 



THE BRIDE'S MISERY. 

Come all young maidens wherever you be, 
Give ear to my story while you are free ; 
Reflect on these lines in friendship you hear. 
And beware to count a single life dear. 

Behold the maid who in marriage is bound, 
In mourning she wails the loss she has found, 
For want of joy she expected to gain, 
Deep sorrows are flowing in misery's train. 

*' Had I all the wealth the Indies possessed, 
I'd freely give all to find former rest ; 
But now I am fettered in pain and despair, — 
Beware, blooming girls, of marriage beware. 

I once could appear in finest array. 
Could go when I pleased, and when I pleased stay- 
But now my babes are in poverty clad. 
Which pierces my heart, and makes me look sad." 

What fraud is in man ! no pen can impart 
The guilt and deceit inspiring his heart ! 
His form is noble before he is wed. 
But soon his beauty and friendship are fled. 

The cares of his life depress him with grief, 
'J'he wants of his children cry out for relief. 
Their food and raiment must ever be found. 
While blood in the channels of life moves around. 



rice's poetry. 891 

" The man who promised with kindness to treat 
His Bride, while on earth permitted to meet, 
Has proved himself false, unkind and untrue, 
Has lost his friendship, and bid me adieu. 

" Before nuptial ties I thought he was kind, 
But I must confess I truly was blind ; 
He has chosen his cups, to his drunkenness gone, 
And I and my children must suffer forlorn. 

" Too late do I mourn, too late do I weep. 
Too late I withhold my wet eyes from sleep I 
Farewell earthly joys, I'm ever to sigh ! 
To mourn and to suffer, to weep and to die. 

" No hope is for me except in free grace, 
That beams on my spirit through Jesus' face ; 
Then wake, my soul ! from hopeless despair, 
And grasp the free treasures in Heaven to share." 



THE NEAV JERUSALEM. 

Jerusalem, my blest abode. 

When shall I rest in thee ; 
Leave all my pain and sin below, 

And God my Savior see. 

Thy walks are decked with living gems. 
Thy streets are made of gold. 

The grandeur of thy pearly gates 
No tongue has ever told. 

The glory of thy pleasant walks 

Inspire my holy theme ; 
By faith I view thy sacred courts 

In richest treasures beam. 

No freezing winds, or noxious breath, 
Shall spread contagion there ; 

But ev'ry saint in raiment white 
Shall full Redemption share. 



S92 rice's poetry. 

If Heav'n be such a glor'ous place, 
Why should I longer stay 

lu this dark vale of tears and death, 
And fear to launch away ? 

Reach down, Lord, thy saving arm, 
And bear me home to rest, 

To share the riches of thy grace 
Forever with the blest. 



JESUS DIED FOR ME. 

Jesus, the Savior of mankind, 
Hung bleeding on the tree ! 

How vast that love his soul inclined, 
To give his life for me. 

Behold, the God of nature dies. 
While earth's strong pillars shake ! 

A solemn darkness veils the skies, 
The rocks in sunder break ! 

" 'Tis done," he paid the ransom down, 
When he in death's embrace 

Expired that I might wear a crown, 
And greet his smiling face. 

Behold, he rises from the tomb ! 

He breaks the tyrant's chain ! 
And stamps upon the grave her doom 

By his triumphant reign. 

It was my sins that drove the nail ! 

That pierced his sacred side ! 
That caused his tears, and dying wail, 

When he was crucified. 

Let rocks and hills his love proclaim ! 

Let saints and angels tell 
The glory of their God, who came 

To conquer death and hell. 



rtoe's poetry. 393 

PEACE OF CONSCIENCE IN AFFLICTION. 

My God, how happy and secure 

Are they who feel their sins forgiven ! 

While they the ills of life endure, 

They find their anchor cast in Heaven. 

Their day of life while passing by, 
Is mingled with the Savior's love ; 

And as they journey for the sky, 

Their souls are harmless as the dove. 

How oft they view supernal hills. 

Where streams from living fountains flow ; 

And as they drink those slaking rills. 
They gladly would to Jesus go. 

They scorn the fading joys of earth, 
Which vanish like the morning rose ; 

But claim by grace a higher birth, 
And on the truth of God repose. 

When cares of life and want distress, 
And scoffers lift their raging voice, 

The Gospel truth their souls shall bless, 
And make them in their God rejoice. 

ON THE DEATH OF GEN. ZACHARY TAYLOR 
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. 

A deep-toned wail floats on the breeze ; 

Its scalding tears a Nation showers ! 
A dirge is rushing o'er the seas, 

From frozen zones to zones of flowers ; 
From evergreens of mountain Maine, 

To California's golden sands. 
And deep Atlantic's foaming plain. 

To broad Pacific's desert strands. 

That Star which decked our brilliant sky, 
And shone in full-orbed glory there ! 



394 rice's poetry. 

That key-stone of our temple high, 
Though firmly bound, lies in despair ! 

With drooping plume, and falling spear 
Our country weeps her richest blood ! 

For he who fills that hero's bier 

Has sunk beneath deep Jordan's flood. 

The death-flag streams in sable gloom I 

Low in the grave our patriot lies ! 
Weep ! Nation, weep around his tomb ! 

For death has claimed our highest prize ! 
The garland wreathed upon his head 

Is fanned with zephyrs wet with tears ; 
For this, he bands of warr'ors led, 

And braved his foes uplifted spears. 

Hark ! hark ! the wailing dies away ! " 

Our wounded hearts again are healed ; 
All darkness is exchanged for day. 

And prior glory takes the field ! 
A star may lose its brilliant sphere, 

Yet thousands more shall deck the sky ; 
It only drops its lustre here 

To shine in brighter worlds on high. 



ORATION IX. 
MESSIAH'S KINGDOM. 



An Exit uot from the Works o{ Nature, "God manifest in the 
Flesh/' and the Wisdom of Men. 



God, in his majesty, stretched forth his arm and made 
the world, the air, the water, and dry land. All things 
created sprang from his omnific word. He made the 
sun a light by day, the moon by night, and stars that 
glitter in their sockets like sparkling gems of silver. He 
made the herb of the field, and every green thing; the 
river and ocean, the hill and dale, the feathered songsters 
to chant his praise, and the countless millions of finny 
tribes, which tell as livitig witnesses of his creative power, 
and dumbly set forth the glory of his omnipotence. 

After which, God created man in his own image; 
pronounced his benediction upon him; made him ruler 
over fish, fowl, beast and bird, and every living thing 
that creepeth, or on the earth doth move. 

Now God created man, male and female; prepared 
an Eden for their souls' delight; commissioned them to 
eat of all the fruit of the garden, except the forbidden 
"tree of good and evil," on which was stamped the 
penalty of death. But how short their glory ! How 
soon the death-knell tolled their sad mortality, and 
sapient angels dropped their silent tears, put on their 
robes of mourning, and stood confounded at the strange 
imbecility of man. The Prince of Darkness, foe to all 
goodness, beguiled the woman; *'she plucked, she ate;" 
at that moment the loud acclamations of hell were heard 
through its black domains, while heaven let fall a tear. 
The woman beguiled the man; he also partook of the 
forbidden tree, thereby incurred the curse of God's 



396 rice's oration 

interdiction, drove back the chariot of his Father's 
love, and bound himself and his offspring in the dark 
dominions of death and hell. In that dread moment 
all was lost ! Earth felt her chains, heaved to her centre, 
and in pangs expired. 

Man, in his dread dilemma, cursed of his God, and 
driven from the garden by the avenging sword guarding 
the forbidden tree, becomes a sad vagrant in his ruined 
Btate, sees no star to illume his darkness, no aid to cheer 
his fallen soul. The curse of a broken law remains 
upon him; "he is covered with wounds and bruises," 
and the fires of Mount Sinai make his soul to quake 
with fear. He looks back, and his load of guilt over- 
shadows him ; before him is death temporal and eternal, 
and no created arm can save him from the fall. He has 
lost his Eden, the favor of his Lord, and must swell the 
sad dirge of his temporal and eternal pain. God I 
Is this man's doom by heaven's divine decree? 

But, lo! I hear the ministration of the angel band. 
The morning stars begin their song of deliverance, and 
bring hope to man. The sapient conclave of the Father, 
Son, and Holy Ghost, have found a scheme for a lost 
world's redemption, and the sweet harbingers of heaven 
begin to proclaim their anthems of deliverance from the 
tops of the holy mountains: "The seed of the woman 
sliall bruise the serpent's head;" "Jehovah shall be 
clothed incarnate;" "God shall be manifest in the flesh, 
seen of angels, believed on by the world, and re-ascend 
into glory; shall tread the w^ine-press alone, dip his 
vesture in his own blood, be buffeted in the streets of 
the Jews, and bear the cross up Mount Calvary." And 
all this for who? For the vile offender, the miscreant 
aiiainst God's law, for all Adam's lost sons and daughters. 
Wonder, heavens I and be astonished, earth! at 
I his boundless love of God to man. 

No blood of beasts, or sprinkling priest, can make 
reconciliation between Jehovah and a lost world. No- 
thing, but God the Son, clothed in his humanity, can 
make an atonement for the sinner's soul, save him from 



ON Messiah's kingdom. 397 

impending wrath, and restore him to his lost Eden. 
Therefore, the second person in the Trinity leaves the 
abode of the heavenly hosts, casts off his diadem, 
fulfills the prophecy, is born in a stable and cradled in 
a manger; the son of Mary, and Son of God. This is 
the love of Jesus for us, the hope of our redemption. 
Wonder, my soul I for the Lord has promised to 
ransom mankind, when he shall give up his life on 
Culvary. 

We now approach the scene of a Savior's sufferings 
to restore a lost world. See him across the Kidron 
stream, forsaken by his disciples, his Father's counte- 
nance withdrawn, divinity receding from suffering 
humanity, in the dire scene of unparalleled agony, when 
God's wrath, for sin, fell on the shoulders of our surety, 
our only hope. Here, in his midnight conflict with 
heaven, earth and hell, "it pleased Jehovah to bruise 
him." "God spared not his own Son." " The chas- 
tisement of our peace was upon him." "By his stripes 
we are healed." Three times, in Gethsemane, shrinking 
humanity deprecated the cup. Three times he pros- 
trated himself in prayer to his Father ; and three times 
he arose in the conflict, resolved to reach the goal of 
his sufferings. God I what power stayed thy arm in 
thy Son's mortal agony I 

To describe the scene, the utmost powers of conception 
fail. We but approach the verge of the tragedy. What 
pen can tell the anguish of his heart, or exhibit its 
bruised emotions? The alternative was before him. 
If he failed to die, his Father, of Adam's progeny, 
would feed the flames of hell ! Millions upon millions 
must tread the road to perdition, and the blighting curse 
of God, unreconciled, set in upon them forever! Satan 
would shout in victory, and boast in his bound confed- 
erates! Heaven would be lost, and the prospective 
thrones of eternity exchanged for chains of perdition. 
The untrodden wine-press was before him ! The hour 
of almighty conflict had arrived ! The devotees of sin 
were about him, and heaven's squadrons above, but 



84 



398 rice's oration. 

none to help. Therefore, by his own might, he drank 
the cup alone, mingled with dregs of death and hell I 

The design of the Savior's sufferings connects itself 
with the history of his propitiation. The effect, the 
end, explain the cause producing the result. The 
circumstances attending his death prove it the most 
momentous event that ever occurred in the liistory of 
man. Prophets, apostles, heroes, and maityi's have 
been burned, banished, stoned, and sawed asunder; 
myriads have died in battle; pestilence, witli putrefac- 
tive breath, has inspired the lungs of pallid millions; 
thrones, in a niglit, have been destroyed; but no event 
on the records of history has been so attested by nature 
and nature's God, as the death of Christ. This proves 
the dignity of the sufferer, and the divine grandeur of 
the sacrifice. 

Sis days before his death, he makes it known to his 
disciples ! He announces his resurrection ! after which, 
he agrees to meet his brethren in a mountain of Galilee. 
He is arrested and brought before Annas, Caiaphas. 
Hero], and Pilate; proved guilty by false witnesses, 
and sentenced to an execution, more infamous and 
painftd in its nature, than any in the code of nations. 
In the hall he is scourged, buffeted, and spit upon, | 
mocked, crowned with thorns, and sceptred with a reed. 
From the pavement of Pilate, he bears his cross through 
the streets of the Jews. He faints under his load, 
"and they compel a Cyrenian to bear the cross" up the 
hill "with Jesus." Thus he was sentenced by man, 
and by him crucified and slain. 

Here we pause. Was the compulsion ever regretted 
by the Cyrenian in bearing the cross? and did the 
daughter of Paganism, the wife of Pilate, lament that 
she sought the salvation of Jesus, in urging her husband j 
to have nothing to do "with that just person?" And | 
when she died, was her plea for the God-man left unre- 
warded ? But he heeds not her prayer. The reprobate 
mob, and mass of Jewish -spectators shout, "his blood 
be on us, and on our children;" invoking his curse by 



ON Messiah's kingdom. 399 

the foulest envy. God ! in what woe shall the future 
tell the consummation of their chosen anathema! what 
numbers measure their guilt! what pencil paint their 
doom. 

Again we pause, and view another shade in the pic- 
ture. A few Christian daughters gaze on their Master, 
and bewail his anguish. Thank God, this little band 
could not riot in his torture. Jesus, ever mindful of 
goodness, with eyes sinking in death, cast a look of 
godlike philanthropy, and exclaimed, "Daughters of 
Jerusalem, weep not for me, but for yourselves, and for 
your children." This city, in which I am judged unfit 
to live or die, before this generation pass, shall be 
drenched in blood ! Before two years expire, Caiaphas, 
the stern bigot, shall wind up his career in suicide and 
death ! In the mean time, the treacherous Pilate, in 
the same manner, shall die by his own hands ! Soon, 
Herod, in his malice, shall be smitten of God, and eaten 
up of worms! The land of Judea shall be without 
altar, or temple, and even the Holy of Holies shall fall 
beneath the Roman's spear! The Sanhedrim, with the 
multitude of Jews, who raised their voices from a 
thousand quarters with the cry of crucifixion, shall be 
crucified, until there shall not be room in the suburbs 
of Jerusalem to build their crosses; for the vengeance 
of Rome shall be glutted by every where exhibiting to 
the lost Jew a surrounding horizon of crucified sufferers. 
My G'.^'d ! save us from the curse of this unparalleled 
doom ! 

For this Deicide, this crime uncqualed in the history 
of worlds, the Jews, branded and scorned, shall be 
scattered in every quarter of the globe, without syna- 
gogue or temple, while millions shall perish in their 
contest with the Gentiles. For this crime, the unerring 
prophecy has fallen upon them like thunder-bolts from 
heaven. More than a million and a half foil in the 
Roman conflict; and, without glancing at the future, 
near two thousand years have swept in darkness over 
their desolate pomp and curse-bowed grandeur. No 



400 rice's oration 

longer beloved of God, deistical in faith, they roam 
without shrine or priest. The four quarters of the 
globe confirm their dispersion, and seal their infamy. 
The page of history is stained with their blood, and 
the winds of heaven bear to insulted majesty the story 
of their wrongs, and record of their sighs ! 

We now approach the final sufferings of the Son of 
Grod ! We stand at the base of Calvary ! The clam- 
orous multitude surround the cross, that their eyes may 
drink the blood, and their ears the last groans of mur- 
dered innocence! The cross is now prepared! The 
suffering victim is stretched upon it ! His hands and 
feet receive their position ! and the stern executioner, 
with his ponderous hammer and rugged spikes, is in 
haste to give the blow, that nails to the fatal wood the 
sacred humanity of the Son of God! The cross is 
reared, and by a fearful concussion it enters the mortised 
rock. God ! what an appeal this distension must 
have been to the sufl'ering Redeemer, tearing the nerves, 
muscles, and tendons of his hands and feet, and sending 
sick convulsions to his heart. Well might the prophet 
exclaim of his suff'erings, ''no man hath sorrows like 
unto my sorrows." 

In tliis deed of more than hellish venture, the ruth- 
less soldiery, and heartless mob, led by the chief priests, 
scribes, and elders, all united ; even one of the thieves, 
suspended his death-sobs to revile him, while the shout- 
ings and rejoicings of hell's votaries shook the base of 
the mountain : " If thou be the Son of God, come down 
from the cross, and we will believe." Eternal justice, 
where was thy wrath? Angel of God, where slept thy 
sword, and by what arm restrained? 

But we live again when we reflect, on that engine of 
death bleeds a Victim, whose ransom shall tell on the 
world's destiny through the ages of time, and be a ral- 
lying point of interest among all the worlds of God. 
Though the multitude about him now conspire to bow 
the knee in mock prostration, and invite him down from 
»he cross, "he saved others, let him save himself.'" 



ON Messiah's kingdom. 401 

here hangs the christian's hope, bequeathed by the 
life-Dlood of the Man of Calvary. 

But the scene changes. Jesus discharges the duties 
of a son to her, who was identified with him in the 
scenes of Bethlehem, and story of the manger. He 
prays for his murdeirers, and cries with a loud voice, 
"My God! my God! why hast thou forsaken me?" 
That these Pagans and Jews forsake me is not so 
strange ; that men should withdraw their aid, and angels 
refuse to minister, is what I expected. A faithless 
world and frowning skies I can endure; but, "my God, 
my God, why hast thou forsaken me ! " When did I 
refuse to force thy claims, and sustain thy rights? 
When did I fail to publish thy name and relieve the 
hopeless sufferer? When did the poor, the needy, the 
halt, and blind, ask of me and did not receive? When 
did the heart-broken father, the weeping mother, and 
orphan sisters ask me back their dead, and I did not 
relume the sightless eye, and pulse the lifeless heart? 
And is this my recompense ? Must I not only bear the 
malice of the mob, fury of fiends, desertion of the 
world, and murmurings of the heavens above, but also 
have mingled in this dreadful cup the hidings of my 
Father's face? "My God, my God, why hast thou 
forsaken me! " 

Now, when his suffering humanity had uttered its 
last complaint, and was about to receive its final shock; 
when Heaven and earth conspired to recede from the 
poor sufferer ; when the divine intercourse was checked, 
and paternal presence withdrawn ; when alone, without 
friend or assistance, he had to contend with the con- 
flicting and scourging elements of the universe ; at 
this strange phenomenon, nature could no longer endure 
the dread sufferings of her Creator: she vibrated with 
conscious horror through all her dominions. The sun, 
shrouded in darkness, rolled back his chariot from the 
cursed abode of man ; refused to see the Son of Eight- 
eousness, from whom he had received his beams, sinking 
beneath a horizon of darkness, blood, and death ! The 



•34 



402 rice's oration 

rocks rent, earth shook, and trembling mountains pro-- 
longed the terror of the scene ; men scoffed, hell howled, 
and heaven let fall a tear. Death heard the cry of the 
world's redemption in his dark dominions, forgot his 
prey, let fall the chains which bound his prisoners ; they 
started into life, while revengeful creation, mantled with, 
sackcloth, "hung the heavens with the habiliments of 
mourning! " 

And all this for man, for you and me. The human 
soul was at stake, and by such an altar and such a sac- 
rifice, it is proved to be of more value than the whole 
amplitude of insentient worlds. That, upon which 
Heaven has embarked so godlike an expenditure of effort, 
must possess the true value of the immortal soul ! 

But, the tragical scene is over ; the Almighty's wrath 
seems subsided ; nature has put off her garb of mourn- 
ing; the sun gilds the world in prior glory; the moon 
ascends her pathway of stars ; the mountains cease to 
tremble on their deep foundations ; mossy graves retain 
their remaining dead ; and creation seems to rest over 
the Savior's tragedy. 

His disciples have now lost their Master, and become 
the scoff of Jewish murderers. Death, with hands dyed 
in Heaven's blood, now sways his sceptre over the grave 
of Jesus, and holds the chains, that bind in the tomb, 
the humanity of the Son of God' Hell exclaims, in a 
shout of triumph with her countless millions through 
all the deep caverns of the damned, "the Prince of 
Life is slain," while earth's demons conspire in the loud 
acclamation of "Amen." 

The Savior is yet nailed to the cursed wood I His 
head is bowed in the still slumbers of death ! His eyes, 
once sparkling with life, now sleep in silence ! His face, 
without spot or wrinkle, is cold and lifeless I His feet, 
that bore salvation, have lost their motion; and his 
beneficent hands, that relieved suffering humanity, are 
dead in crucifixion. He now remains a spectacle to 
angels and men, cold and lifeless on the bloody cross! 

But a friend now approaches the body of Jesus. 



ON MESSIAH'S KINGDOM. 403 

Joseph of Arimathea, takes him down from the cross, 
embalms him in spices, and lays him in his own sepul- 
chre, hewn out of a rock. His grave is sealed by 
Jewish priests, and secured by Roman soldiers. He 
lies "numbered with transgressors," the pale and pulse- 
less corpse of Joseph's tomb I 

What a spectacle was exhibited in this memorable 
sepulchre. He, who clothed himself with light, and 
rode in his chariot, borne on the breezes of heaven, was 
pleased to put on the habiliments of mortality, and 
press the tomb of the prostrate dead. Who can repeat 
this truth too often ? Who can dwell on this theme too 
long ? He, who sustains the thrones of glory, and gives 
light to the heavenly host, is now a pale corpse, and 
chained by the Prince of Darkness. But his Divinity 
only slumbers to prove the claims of his humanity, 
when he shall tread upon the neck of his last enemy, 
and raise the banner of the cross over the combined 
powers of death and hell : then shall his ruthless foes 
be put to flight, and the song of free grace, by the 
blood of Jesus, shall redeem the world. 

In this, the hour of'thy triumph, death! never did 
thy dark realm contain such a prisoner before. Prisoner 
did I say? No, he was more than conqueror! He 
arose from his icy bed more mightily than Samson from 
a transient slumber; broke down the iron bars of death, 
and razed the strong holds of its dark dominions. And 
this, mortals ! is our security, our only consolation. 
Jesus has trod the rugged pathway, and smoothed it for 
our passport. Jesus, sleeping in the tomb, has bright- 
ened the mansion, and left an odor in those beds of dust. 
The dying Jesus is our sure protection and guide 
through the territories of the grave. If we believe in 
him, he will transmit us to heaven when we pass under 
the curtain of our dissolution ; for his voice has declared, 
"whosoever believeth in me, shall never die." Our 
exit will terminate our sufferings, and our final groan be 
our admission to everlasting joy; "for, if Christ be 
risen, then shall we also be raised." "Now is he risen 



404 rice's oration 

from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that 
slept." So, ill Christ's resurrection, is the consumma- 
tion of man's redemption. 

Our lost hope in Christ's death, revives in his victory 
over the tomb. We turn from the dark picture, the 
garden, cross and grave, to gaze on the renewed splen- 
dor of the Prince of Life. When the dawn of the 
morning broke on the night-watch of the disciples, they 
felt the whole heaven of their hopes was lost, and the 
sepulchre of their Master was the grave of immortality. 
But soon they saw the banner of life waving above the 
citadel of death, when their Jesus triumphed over his 
last great enemy. Then our nature took wing, and 
mounted with him from the tomb. Our faith revives in 
the retrospect, and the future is full of hope before us. 
When the "great Captain of our salvation" had met and 
satisfied the last demands of justice; had entered, as 
our surety, the dark dominions of the dead ; had ren- 
dered grateful the retreat of the tomb ; had perfumed 
the grave for the believer, and planted the flower of 
Heaven's eternal spring in the moss of the dark sepul- 
chre: then, then he rose in grandeur over death's 
proudest hopes, and in godlike triumph, dragged to his 
ascending car the captivity of a dying world ! 

But we turn to another shade in the picture : and we 
here notice, that the types, shadows, and predictions of 
the Jewish dispensation, were set forth to show the 
sufferings, death, and resurrection of the Savior: and 
now being fulfilled by his victory over the grave, prove, 
beyond contradiction, that God directed the prophecy. 
When the victim flamed on the altar, it prefigured the 
offering of Calvary. When Moses lifted up the serpent, 
he represented Jesus on the cross. When the prophet 
smote the rock, it was typical of Christ. When the 
goat was made an expiatory sacrifice for the congrega- 
tion, it was done to symbolize him, who "bore our sins 
upon the tree;" the atoning " Lamb of Grod, that taketh 
away the sins of the world." If the paschal blood 
stayed the drawn sword of the destroying angel, how 



ON MESSIAH'S KINGDOM. 405 

much more snail the blood of Christ "our passover slain 
for us?" 

We see prophecy held the same language, and tra- 
vailed on the same immortal theme. This was the spring 
of the prophets' action, the goal of their hope, and 
recompense of their desire. In their describing the 
great sacrifice of the new dispensation, every word broke 
with the burden of a special revelation. In whatever 
course inspiration threw their vision, they saw the cross, 
in triumph, rising upon the broad horizon of humanity, 
dissipating the gloom of surrounding millions, and 
lighting up with splendor, the baneful valley of the 
shadow of death. 

In this light our Savior regarded his advent and 
crucifixion. It was this sustained him. Look at his 
patience and resolution mid the insults of his foes, and 
tears of his friends. Even when the former did shout 
for his execution, and cried, "not this man, but Barab- 
bas;" and his loved ones, despair-stricken, shed tears 
of immortal disappointment, with godlike firmness he 
braved the fury, for he had before him the prospect of 
his passion. He beheld the period, when all nations 
shall load the altar of his crucifixion with the incense 
of piety, and celebrate the grandeur of his mission, and 
his death ! 

Having .noticed man's creation and fall ; the suffer- 
ings, death, and resurrection of "God manifest in the 
flesh;" I shall now contemplate his own Divinity, God- 
head, and reign, by referring to the declarations of 
inspired prophets and apostles as positive testimony. 

To be able to confide in the high commission of the 
Son of God in the uplifting our fallen nature to the 
fellowship of divine, we must reason on the subject, 
regarding him as the self-existing Almighty, Creator 
and Ruler of all; the Sustainer of Heaven's rights, and 
at the same time retrieving the guilt of mankind : and 
to prove Messiah's claims, we must notice him as do the 
scriptures, in his pre-existing, viilitant, and, glorified 



406 

states. In doing this, the New Testament must furnish 
a key to unlock the Old. 

Without preface, or anticipated contradiction, these 
holy expositions tell us that "he came down from 
heaven;" that he is "God over all;" "God manifest in 
the flesh;" that "he was before Abraham;" had "glory 
with the Father before the world began;" that "he was 
sent," "was given," "was made flesh," was "Alpha and 
Omega," "the first and last;" "was, and is, and is to 
come;" "the Prince of Life;" "the Loid of glory;" 
"all things were made by him," and "by him all things 
exist." Thus, the pre-existence of Jesus Christ is 
every where exprcssl}'^ assumed in the New Testament; 
therefore, we cannot fail to give it due prominence, for 
this is our safety ; all is sea beside. 

To the same eftect of the New, is the language of the 
Old Testament. Here he is the expressed God of uni- 
versal dominion. In Genesis, as " the seed of the 
woman," he should obtain victory over the powers of 
darkness. As the "seed of Abraham," he was to 
invest himself with glory in the gate of his enemy. He 
is Job's "redeeming" God. David calls him "Jehovah," 
the "King of Sion," and his throne "eternal." Agur 
styles him "God's Son." Isaiah proclaims him the 
"mighty God, and everlasting Father;" "Immanuel, 
God with us;" the "God of hosts, and only Savior." 
Daniel declares his "kingdom without end." Joel 
gives him the name of "Jehovah;" and in Malachi he 
is called "the Lord God of hosts." Here we have a 
cloud of witnesses, all conspiring in the suprenje glory 
and infinite power of God's Messiah. 

In his militant state on earth, he gave evidence that 
he was "God manifest in the flesh." At his baptism 
on the banks of Jordan, the powers of the world to 
come vouched to the Divinity of his mission ! In the 
Mount of Temptation, he foiled the sagacity of hell by 
the defeat of her sovereign ! In Cana of Galilee, the 
elements obeyed his creative mandate, while water, 
casting off" the law of its nature, blushed to wine ! On 



ON Messiah's kingdom. 407 

the shore of the Lake Genesareth, "the mother of 
Peter's wife" was taught that disease and death obey 
his voice I The stormy sea of Galilee, the surging roll 
of the agitated Tiberias, felt his presence ; and the one 
was still, while the other became as adamant under his 
feet! In the forest of Bethesda, more than twenty 
thousand heard his voice, and hung on his lips in breath- 
less expectation, while beholding the supernatural mul- 
tiplication of bread and fish in the hands and mouth of 
the eater. By the wayside, a beggar, in rags and mis- 
ery, directs his sightless balls to the way his Lord was 
passing; stretched his palsied hands, and feeling for 
information, he cries, "Jesus, thou son of Dcivid, have 
mercy on me;" and straightway he chides the curse of 
nature, by throwing the light of heaven on the opening 
eyes of the blind-born gazer ! 

A female invalid "troubled him in the crowd," and 
restoring virtue ran through all her frame in the contact ! 
His rebuke drove life from the fig tree, and anon it 
withered away ! He said to the damsel, ''Talitha cumi^''^ 
and death fled from her bier! He cried, "Lazarus, 
come forth," and his putrefaction began to tremble with 
the vital spark, and his pulse of life to beat in the tomb ! 
He commanded demons to "depart," and they fled to 
rejoin the damned! Confession, from lips of devils, 
declared him to be the holy one of God ! The eff'ul- 
gence of his Deity shone on the Mount of Transfigura- 
tion ! In the procession that attended him through the 
cantons of Jewry, those who had never seen, "opened 
their eyes;" and the first object they saw, was him who 
gave thei\:i sight. None but Jehovah could release the 
woes of suflFering humanity, and burst the chains of the 
death-bound prisoner, as did Jesus, when he took upon 
him our nature, and dwelt among the sons of men. 

Behold him entering Jerusalem ! His disciples 
shouted him as their God and Kedeemer. The throng 
of spectators rent the skies with their loud acclamations, 
" Hosanna in the highest." The streets of the Jews, 
and the bendin"; heavens, resounded with the shouts of 



408 rice's oration 

the multitude; and had they been silent, the stones 
beneath their feet would have cried in honor to his 
grandeur ! 

Again we look at the closing scene of his eventful 
life. He met death upon the cross, with no aid from 
earth, save the tears of his friends, amid the scoff of 
thousands I and yet there was no defeat in his death. 
The scenes of the crucifixion confirmed his godhead, 
and threw "the gazer on his knee." The terrific dra- 
pery, which, in that dread hour, was thrown around the 
theatre of nature, proclaimed his dignity, and the god- 
like glory of his sacrifice. 

The glorified state of the Messiah, which commenced 
at his resurrection, and was confirmed by his ascension 
and the descent of the Holy Spirit, includes the range 
of liis administration. His resurrection sealed the 
Divinity of his mission, when he led captivity captive; 
spoiled principalities and powers, and fastened to his 
chariot wheels the conquered millions of death and hell. 
And when he ascended in his glory through the bound- 
less concave of the heavens, had earth possessed angelic 
ears, slie might have heard his princely heralds surprise 
the waiting throngs of eternity with the voice of thun- 
der, "Lift up your heads, ye everlasting gates, and let 
the King of Glory in." Earth might have asked, in 
the language of prophecy, " Who is the King of Glory?" 
and heaven have replied, earth has crucified him; " the 
Lord of Hosts, he is the King of Glory ! " Such was 
the triumph of the Son of God ! 

Thus, in his pre-existent, militant and glorified states, 
the Godhead belongs to the Messiah, and all the works 
of Deity are ascribed to him. He was the appearing 
Jehovah of the world in the days of Noah ; the uncre- 
ated acting angel in the Jewish ages; the resident God 
of the temple, and Supreme Head of the Christian 
church ; reigning and controlling the interest and desti- 
nies of the universe, with a sway steady as the flow of 
time, and lasting as the years of eternity ! 

We now consider his humiliation. He was Lord of 



ON Messiah's kingdom. 409 

pavid, yet he became his afflicted " Son." The "root " 
became the offspring of David, and '* the eternal Father 
the Son given." Temptation and sufferings are the 
great sources of human misery ; and to these our Lord 
was subject during his ministry on earth. As our Re- 
deemer, he humbled himself; as our God, he b iist 
the bands of the sepulchre, and assumed the glory he 
possessed "before the world was." Infinite was his 
humiliation in becoming man, yet greater still in dying 
for man. But in yielding to a death so painful and 
ignominious as that of the cross, the wonder is magni- 
fied, and as we pause on its horizon, we only repeat, 
"he humbled himself." Almighty condescension could 
stoop no lower. 

This is the mystery of our faith. The law of heaven 
seems inverted. The God of angels was comforted in 
Gethsemane by an angel of God. The Judsre of the 
Universe was arraigned before the bar of Pilate, and 
compelled to bear the engine of his own death to the 
place of execution. He, who had received the homage 
of heaven from everlasting, had his spotless cheek pol- 
luted by the lips of hell; those lips that sold him, and 
sealed the compact of his death ! Those hands that 
bwilt the arches of the heavens, and flung through 
immensity its wilderness of suns ; and those feet that 
trod the sapphire plains of the celestial world, and had 
the earth a footstool, were spiked in agony to the cursed 
wood ! His brow, that from eternity shone with immor- 
tal majesty, was pierced with a diadem of thorns! He, 
who led the choir of angels, and tuned their golden 
harps, was crucified between two thieves! He, who 
supplies your springs, swells your rivers, and bowls the 
immeasurable ocean, said, "I thirst," and "they gave 
him gall to drink!" What a boundless surrender of 
claim ! 

He was born in a stable ; was driven by Herod into 
Egypt; was obscurely educated in Galilee; was tempted 
by the devil ; was derided by his kindred ; was traduced 
by the Jews, persecuted by the priesthood, betrayed by 



35 



410 rice's oration 



his disciples, and crucified by the world ! Here is the 
climax of his glory and humiliation. God of eternity, 
teach us the import of this trans-human mystery, and in 
our conscious being, penetrate the springs of devout 
emotion ! 

In his passion, he drank deep of the cup of sorrow 
before his exaltation to the throne of hisDivinity. His ij 
soul seemed to be engaged in tlie displeasure ot lieaven. 
Whatever confidence he had in God the Father, it is 
evident he labored under a suspension of heavenly com- j 
fort. The passion was a severe trial of the natural 
affections and moral virtues of our Lord, together with 
a fearful amount of penal sufTt^ring. It was the hour 
and power of darkness, arrived in the plenitude of their 
gloom and last visitation. ;! 

During the final enjiagemont, the scales of God's i 
justice seemed to tremble with a fearful equipoise. It 
was an eventful crisis, because the war comprised infi- } 
nite elements. The hero of the struggle entered into ji 
the breach of a world cursed of God, and the strife of ' 
contending destinies shook the pillars on which its am- ' 
plitude was poised. Universal nature sympathized with 
theSuif rer, and her avenging administrations rebuked | 
the apathy of earth, as tlie rocks and mountains con- | 
spiring with the mourning heavens, broke their eternal 
silence to vindicate his claims. 

I shall now contemplate Messiah's reign. His scep- 
tre comprehends 'all power in heaven and inearth;" 
and his administration is universal. He has a two-fold 
claim upon the children of the world ; he made us, and 
afterwards redeemed us. As "God over all," his right 
to rule is inherent in his nature ; and he also possesses 
the same right to his Messiahship by his "obedience 
unto death ;" for which cause he stands as mediator 
between heaven and earth, administering mercy and 
justice to the children of men. 

The constitution of hU kingdom was chartered and 
confirmed before its actual existence over the face of our 
world. It was the covenant of redemi-lion first jjublished 



ON MESSIAH'S KINGDOM. 411 

in Paradise ; enlarged upon by Abraham ; further un- 
folded at Sion; announced by prophets, and finally 
consummated by the advent of the Messiah. This 
covenant includes the true worshippers of all nations 
in every age of the world, whether before or since our 
Lord assumed his humanity. 

The Jew, the Gentile, the wide world with its teem- 
ing population, infernal agency and degeneracy of its 
nature, the pride of intellect and turbulence of passion, 
these are the enemies of Messiah's reign, and every 
fifty years of his administration, for nearly sixty centu- 
ries, has consigned to heaven or hell, from our world 
alone, some five hundred millions of immortal souls, to 
live and sing in the one, or sigh and wail in the other! 
He holds in his hand the weal and woe of his subjects; 
and from his throne of thrones, he will defend, main- 
tain, and extend his rights. His reign mingles joy and 
grief, and he imparts, by his mighty scale, his just ret- 
ribution for good and evil, as determined by the char- 
acter of his subjects. 

The reign of the Messiah spreads over the expanse 
of immensity, and comprehends the length and breadth 
of his empire. It goes back to the throne of Jehovah, 
when the "sons of God first shouted for joy," and em- 
braces every intelligence, form and grade of being; it 
stretches forward until we are lost in the infinities of 
the future, and only know that the crowned millions of 
the blest in the central abodes of Deity, find the glories 
of eternity magnified by " the Lamb being the light 
thereof/' 

The laws of this kingdom are those of the Gospel, 
and relate principally to the manifestations of the divine 
nature, the medium and method of acceptance with 
Heaven; and finally, the laws and rules of morality, 
which are the great principles in regulating the actions 
of mankind. 

To show the past, present, and future extent of this 
kingdom, we appeal to history, observation, and anal- 
ogy. And in appealing to history, we know not whero 



412 

to begin. Through all ages, what nation, not utterly 
savage, is not a debtor to the cause we plead ? Where 
is it, the lamp of his empire has not been seen penetra- 
ting the gloom of nature's night? Where is it, that 
light has not shone in darkness, and gilded the gloom 
of earth's horizon, to direct her aliens home to God? 
Where is it, that salvation's morning has not arisen 
upon the world, as it first broke upon the shepherds' 
ear, on the hills of Bethlehem ! 

Every brief term in the calendar of time is adding 
some new province to the dominions of the Son of God. 
Every rising sun that gilds the heavens, brings in some 
new trophy of his reign. At every short interval, the 
recording angel stamps on the ledger of immortality, that 
the Gospel has conquered another language of the bab- 
bling earth, and soon it shall pour its salutary streams 
of light and life through the channels of every dialect! 
East, West, North and South ; through all the zones of 
earth, the world's moral midnight is straggling for her 
coming dawn ! Every where, over the vast expanse of 
nations, light is flashing through the mind, giving direc- 
tion to the hopes, and shedding its lustre upon the path 
of humanity. 

The vast river of the water of life is rolling in 
heaven-born grandeur, and will soon flood the world in 
millennial glory, and bear on its bosom the emporium 
of God. The seed of the kingdom, already sown upon 
the tops of the mountains, shall yield its fruit in suc- 
ceeding ages, and wave like the cedars of Lebanon, 
bending by the winds of heaven. The foundation of 
the kingdom is already planted in the breasts of millions, 
and its heavenly breezes are every where inspiring the 
children of men, and will successively augment in its 
accunmlating triumphs, until "faith" shall become uni- 
versal, and the world restored to God. 

In this way, Christianity shall stain the pride of all 
human glory ; subdue the world with its vile elements, 
and on its grave raise the banner of Messiah's kingdom. 
The Prince of Darkness shall lose his reign on earth, 



ON MESSIAH'S KINGDOM. 413 

and all men learn to do the will of God. The gilded 
curse of war shall receive its dishonor in the esteem of 
nations; and auspicious memory, instead of recounting 
the vain glory in the battles of slaughtered victims, 
shall consecrate its hallowed recollections to "peace on 
earth, and good will to men." 

The subjects of this kingdom are the servants of 
God, flourishing in the "beauties of holiness." They 
are free volunteers, ready to obey the commands of 
their Master, and are influenced by the life-giving doc- 
trines of the cross. In numbers, "they shall be as the 
stars of heaven, and sands upon the sea shore." 

Messiah, in his reign, not only saves his people, but 
destroys his enemies. Look at the past ages of the 
world's history, and see the Almighty breathing his 
just imprecations on the children of men. From his 
lips our first parents received the sentence of death. 
Because of unbelief, he destroyed the antediluvian 
world by the flood of his wrath. With fire and brim- 
stone he demolished the cities of the plain, while their 
devotees of Atheism suff'ocated in death. The ruins of 
Egypt, Tyre, Babylon, Nineveh, Jerusalem, and Rome 
remain, to this day, imperishable memorials of the 
vengeance of Heaven. Look at the Jews, cursed of 
God, and trodden beneath the insulting feet of an un- 
grateful world. Look at " the seven churches of Asia,'* 
and the cities in which they were found; see their 
noiseless streets, hymnless temples, and desolated altars. 
Look at Herod, Pilate, Julian, and many others who 
persecuted the church ; dark and ghastly are the recol- 
lections of their madness. 

Look at the insanity of infidelity in the God-reject- 
ing republic of France at the close of the last century. 
See that powerful, civilized, and lettered nation throw- 
ing the gauntlet of defiance at the foot of God's throne, 
and M^aving, as the flag of their national distinction, the 
standard of Atheism before his face! Look at their 
combined allies, shrewd, artful, and malignant, leagued 
in the shape of turbulent propagandists, for the exter- 



^35 



<14 rice's oration 

mination of all religion. Look at the prince, subaltern, 
gazetteer, philosopher, and demagogue, uniting in giving 
organic structure to impiety ; elevating unbelief to the 
dignity of science, and reducing blasphemy to a trade ! 

Of Jehovah's retribution, in the progress and sequel 
of this terrible crusade, we need not describe. The 
principal actors fell from their skeptic thrones, as if 
God had withered up their being. The minister of 
vengeance, with his accusing presence, seems to have 
blasted their gaze, and they perished before the rebuke 
of him, in whose eye empire is a speck, and man an 
atom! All this we have seen, and yet we fear the 
reckoning is but commenced, and that the future will 
exact a still more fearful atonement. 

All possible means of torture have been wielded to 
destroy Christianity. The axe, the cross, the stake, 
the fire, and amphitheatre, these only threw a resplen- 
dent halo of glory around the ascending martyr. The 
fadeless crowns of immortality cheered his vision, and 
bore him above the waves of Jordan. Every infernal 
project concerted to extinguish the hopes and being of 
the true church of Christ, only amplified the sphere, 
and augmented the number of her triumphs. Such has 
been the past history of Christendom; and prophecy 
foretells a corresponding train of events shall appear in 
the future. 

The Gospel is already published in more than two 
hundred languages of the vocal and reading earth. In' 
almost every nation of our globe, "the Son of Right- 
eousness is" beginning to shine "with healing in his 
wings." The sons and daughters of Paganism are 
emerging from darkness into light. The idolater of the 
Ganges, and the savage of the Pacific ; the Tungusian 
ranger of the torrid zone, and the shivering Icelander, 
amid his icebergs of eternal frost, have caught the radi- 
ance of redemption's star, and with tears of joy are 
pressing their way to the unfurled banner of Messiah's 
kingdom. 

The imposture of Mecca, whose baptism is blood 



ON Messiah's kin<jdom. 415 

and his eucharist slaughter; and whose gigantic form 
so long appalled and darkened the eastern world, is fast 
nodding to its fall; and soon the crescent, no longer 
beaming upon the standard of bandit legions, shall be 
seen sinking beneath a horizon of oblivion, blood and 
death. Instead of Saracen minarets, the banner of the 
cross shall float on the hill of Calvary, and throw the 
shadow of its folds over the tomb of the Redeemer, and 
the homaged birth-scene of the world's redemption. 

The great martial struggle we have described, is now 
in a state of evolution, and in every direction, the ad- 
vance of the Messiah, resistless as the volitions of Deity, 
is defacing the kingdom of darkness. At this very 
hour, disciplined and formidable columns, under the 
blood-stained flag of the cross, are bearing down with 
invincible steadiness upon the dominions of sin and 
death. Christianity, with all its prevailing influence, is 
every where contesting the human mind, by irresistible 
appeals to all the principles and passions within the 
vast vortex of human life, and on which character and 
destiny are made, to turn for time and eternity. 

On the one hand, we see the strong holds of skepti- 
cism crumbling beneath the chariot wheels of the Re- 
deemer; and on the other, the church in deep travail 
to obtain the primitive simplicity of Christianity; that 
by her pure example, and ardent zeal, she may beat 
back the waves of darkness, and hasten the universal 
triumph of Messiah's kingdom, "when a nation shall be 
born in a day, and all shall know the Lord from the 
least to the greatest." 

Finally: In glancing at the last destiny of the 
church on earth, whether amid the shock of revolutions, 
or the bloodless triumphs of Messiah's reign, robed in 
the majesty of moral dominion, and resplendent in the 
drapery of celestial beauty, the church is seen passing 
throuirh successive eras of improvement and perfection, 
each glowing with increasing splendor, until the burst- 
ing echoes of a world redeemed, borne off upon the 
gale, and brought up upon the breeze, shall revive the 



416 " rice's descant 

recollection^ and realize the burden of the hjmn of 
Bethlehem ; for the shoutings of the last harvest shall 
be the song that sowed the seed, " Glory to God in the 
highest!" Thought can go no further; emotion rise 
no higher. It is the last effort of language ; the richest 
utterance of earth. 



DESCANT ON TIME AND IMMORTALITY. 

The Author's Excuse — His Prayer to God — Creation of Worlds — 
Of Adam and Eve— Their Fall— The Flood— Destruction of Sodom 
and Gomorrah — Of Jerusalem — Bonaparte's Career — The Evils of 
War — On Death — The World's Redemption — The Resurrection — The 
Day of Judgment — The Woes of Hell, and Bliss of Heaven. 



Awake, my soul ! from thy deep slumber rise' 
Tune well thy harp, ere thou attempt to sing 
Thy Descant grave, on Time's destroying flight ; 
And touch the strings of endless w^eal or woe. 
My weakness is extreme ! the dark cloud of 
Midnight veils my spirit in mournful tones ; 
And this frail barque, stamped with mortality 
Because of sin, begins to feel the weight 
Of years, and soon must wither for the tomb. 
'Tis true the task is nmch too hard for me ; 
Yet I will try this worthy song to sing. 
Before my harp by death shall be unstrung ; 
And I of Time shall take my last farewell. 

thou Almighty One ! thou God of light ! 
Eternity past and future took its 
Name from thee ! thou wert the "First and Last" ere 
Worlds arose from chaos ; and thou shalt be 
Through endless future, called God the Father, 
God the Savior, and God the Holy Ghost. 
Thou who art the Fountain of life, — Giver 
Of ev'ry perfect gift, illuminate 
My mind, that I may behold the' things not seen 



ON ti:me and immortality. 417 

By mortal siglit, and justly expose them 
To a world of aliens, by Thee redeemed. 
Then shall the lost be better by my birth ; 
And for this boon their great Creator praise. 
This is my heart's desire ! for this I burn 
The midnight oil, and spend my sleepless hours. 
Were it not for this, my song would cease, — my 
Muse expire, — my pen would fall, and all my 
Exertions be for self, and self alone. 

Time has its tales, unnumbered in their chain , 
Various as the ocean's waves, from the 
liiijpliug, to the mountain swell that rolls the 
Mighty deep ; or sundry winds that blow, from 
The gentle zephyrs, to the sweeping flight 
Of the hurricane. He utters from his 
Countless voices, laden with jubilee 
Or woe, which bear on their tones the height and 
Depth of earth-born glory, and piercing wails 
That shake the world. Where shall I begin my 
Song ? how tune my harp ? what string first strike ? to 
Tell the wonders of Time's rapid flight, as 
He bears his living victims to the tomb ? 
Ye holy angels, lend your wings ! and ye 
Mhiistcring spirits, servants of the 
Living God, touch my heart with a live coal 
From Heaven's altar, that I may tell of Time's 
Momentous weight, before I tune my harp 
To strike the notes of Immortality. 

The Author of Time is God. He counted 
In his own right way, when he said, "Thus be 
Thy circumference, world ! these are thy 
llevolutions : — the one shall be called year. 
The other day." Thus our teeming orb counts 
Time, since first it flew in its revolving 
Sphere. Its motions are complete ; it knows no 
Increase, or diminution in its course, 
Ever since the sun arose, and changed its 
Gloomy curtain for meridian light. 

What pow'r is that, which bade such wonders rise? 



418 rice's descant 

What arm from chaotic embryo brought 

Forth the planetary worlds, — marked their spheres,- 

Tlieir circumscription gave ? What eye measured 

Those planets, and saw their revolutions 

From the beginning ? Who was it that stayed 

The pillars of the universe, and formed 

The amphitheatre of Heav'n? What touch 

Was that which moved the elements, and the 

Azure vaults surrounded celestial worlds ? 

Who said, " let there be light," and merid'an 

Glory passed through the trackless ether, and 

Lit up those tapers through immensity • 

Of space ? Who rides upon the wings of the 

Winds, that surround those countless worlds ; and i 

Worthy of all glory and pow'r throughout 

His vast dominions ? Frail worm of earth I this 

Is thy Father God. What then is man? What 

His rank amid this vast machinery ? 

An atom of an atom world ! a lost 

Cypher on the left ! a blank of blanks ! a 

Bubble on the wave. stop, my muse, nor 

Degrade the works of God ! For in man is 

Planted an immortal soul, that shall live 

When those worlds shall be purified by fire ! 

Their heavens roll together as a scroll, and pass 

Away ! — a soul, that cost the blood of the 

Cross to redeem it ! and must sow on the 

Shores of Time the seed of an eternal 

Heaven or Hell. Angels must soon be its 

Companions around the throne of God, or 

Dire demons lost, and Dives in the flames. 

Having with my muse far into chaos 
Rode, to view those regions of primeval 
Night, that brooded o'er the vast expanse ! thence 
Traveled down the eternal stream, to the 
Period Time began, when God arose. 
And with his creative mandate hung out 
The starry lamps of heav'n, to diffuse their 
Light to opaque orbs and satellites, like 



ON TIME AND IMMORTALITY. 419 

Ihe moon-beams on quiv'ring floods of silver! 

I now return to my native earth, the 

Frail mother of my existence, for a 

Moment's space, in which I must make my bed 

For an Immortality of Heaven's weal, 

Or the woes of Hell. Here we see the lost 

Pigmy tow'rs; or withers in eternal 

Future, under the execration of 

An angry God. What finite mind can scan 

The Infinite? AVhat pep describe his pow'r? 

As I surveyed tlie planetary worlds, 
And viewed the wonders of creation's birth, 
I, in my flight, far excelled the lightning's 
Flash, or the telegraph's matchless speed. In 
One moment I plucked the blooming rose ; the 
Next, lit on some distant star, whose swift-winged 
Light has never readied our globe. 0, what a 
Miracle is man to man ! If he so 
Small, and yet so great, — how great the Author 
Of his being ! Yet still more wonders rise, 
Towering height o'er height, and strike, with joy 
Or pain, the deathless, blood-bought soul of man. 
Here, my muse, let all thy passions roll, 
And tune thy harp to sing thy Descant true. 

When God had finished worlds on worlds, and flung 
Them through the wilderness of space ! and when 
His plastic arm those countless orbs had bound 
In their vast courses through the blue abyss I 
Those hcav'nly globes in perfect order rolled, 
And felt the pow'r of their Creator's nod. 
Then back he flew to the abode of man, 
While yet remaining in his mother dust. 
And showed the wisdom of his God-like plan, 
Long made before creation took its birth. 
By his Omnific wisdom, pow'r and grace. 
He said, " Let us make man," and man was made: 
"He in his nostrils breathed the breath of life ; 
And he became a living soul." Now God 
Saw it was not good for man alone to 



420 rice's descant 

Dwell ; and he caused a deep sleep on him to 

Fall ; and took from his side a rib, out of 

AYhich he woman made. So they were made, male 

And female, from eartli's insentient dust, 

To dress the garden God for tliem prei>ared. 

All nature has laws, by her Creator 
Made ; and justice demands obedience 
To her great Author's name. God has showed his 
Mercy in the' creation of man, — made him 
Spotless as the driven snow, — perfect in 
Holiness, — pure as the seraph, and a 
i.ittlc lower than the angels. He gave 
To liim volitions of his own, with pow'r 
To revere his Creator, and retain 
His purity ; or obey the tempter's 
Voice, — become defiled, and lose the favor 
Of his God. A law was put before him, 
xVnd for tlie disobed'ence of which, was 
The penalty of death. Soon the Serpent 
Beguiled the woman, " She plucked, she ate," — the 
Woman beguiled the man, — he also took 
Of the forbidden tree. Thus the holy 
Twain became defiled, — incurred God's wrath, and 
AVere from Eden driven. In that moment 
All was lost ! — earth felt the wound ! — groaned to her 
Centre ! Heaven let fall a tear ! while Hell 
Shouted in triumph through her dark domain. 
0, my soul, what a fall was that ! which cursed 
With two-fold death every victim slain. 

Since man has trespassed on Jehovah's laws. 
And plucked the fruit his justice had forbid'n ; 
Has chosen death, — excluded mercy's voice. 
And surdv beneath the direful curse of Heav'n ; 
God's holy light has left his fallen soul, 
To range in darkness, and sadly plod its 
Way in sin's forbidden path, — laden with 
Guilt, sorrow, pain, and death. Ev'ry beating 
Pulse tells him of his fall. E<len's glory 
Exchanged for midnight gloom, shrouds his mourning 



ON TIME AND IMMORTALITY. 421 

Heart, and swells his gushing tears. He is now 

A poor vagrant, — his Paradise lost ! has 

A frail barque, — soon to be wrecked on life's rough 

Sea ! and a soul that must cast anchor on 

The barren strands of Hell ! Theft, murder, and 

Revenge, rankle in his bosom ! his thoughts 

Are evil as the sparks ascend ! the bane 

Of sin beguiles his lips ! he thirsts for blood ! 

And is lost to virtue, God, and Heaven. 

Nor does he die alone ! His curse inspires 

His progeny, and tunes their mournful harps 

To swell the dirge of their temporal, and 

Eternal pain. God ! what pen shall paint 

The ruins of the fall ? What scales shall wei^h the' 

c 

Value of the soul, or tell the weight of 

Hell's eternal doom '? What numbers count the 

Wails of the lost, as they plunge the waves of 

1^'ire, where groan follows groan, and death binds fast 

To endless death ? my God I save from this 

Gulf of despair ! this bottomless pit of woe. 

No time to idle here. Awake my muse, 
And on this holy morning, thy mournful 
Descant sing. E'er since the fall, the waves of 
Sin in every form have rolled mountains 
High, — sunk the world in wild despair, — scourged the 
Ptebel with wretchedness for guilt ; because God's 
Wrath arose against his creature man. The 
Gentle zephyrs, that bore the breezes of 
Eternal life through the groves of Eden, 
Have been inspired with baneful vapors ; which 
Bear to suffering humanity, plagues, 
Pestilence, disease and death. Ev'ry hour 
Swells the groans of earth-born agonies, and 
Bears to Heav'n's insulted Majesty the 
History of our wrongs, and record of 
Our sighs. And all this for who ? for you and 
Me ; — cursed with double death. Ah, whither shall 
We flee this load of wrath, which makes our frail 
Spirits quake, "and turns the good man pale ?" Heav'n's 



36 



422 rice's descant 

Blood shall answer, before wc close our song, 
And cliange the picture of this mournful tale. 

Goodness belongs to God; — sin to men and 
Devils, — groaning under chains of darkness. 
God made the angels around his throne, — tuned [white 
Their golden harps, — crowned their heads, — wove their 
Garments, and composed the song they sing to 
His eternal honor. He made Adam 
Pure as his own Divinity ; but made 
Him in the sphere of man. Freely he stood 
While he stood, and freely fell when he fell ; 
So did Eve, and all Heav'n-born angels lost. 
No immutable decree, passed in some 
Lost date of eternity, confirmed their 
Disobedience, and forced their fall. If 
Not, sin belongs to God, and him alone. 
Therefore we see his sentence just on men, 
And angels lost, when banislied from his fold. 
No misery in all the worlds of God, 
Ever sprung from him without a cause. Sin 
Is the cause of misery, and naught beside. 
Sin drove the bolts of demons, — forged their chains, — 
Shut them out of Heaven, — secured God's wrath, 
And rolled the red waves of eternal fire 
Through all the howling regions of the damned. 
Sin drove Adam from his Eden, — barred the 
Gate of Paradise, — expelled the favor 
Of his God, — caused ev'ry groan of stiff 'ring 
Humanity, and soon will wind our chains 
In death, and make our last damnation sure. 
Sin is a foul monster, beyond finite 
Comprehension ; and none but God can solve 
His pow'r, and tell the number of his slain. 

Years rolled on, laden with wrath divine ; while 
Man in folly bent, sought for bliss in earth's 
Delight, — sought, but sought in vain, — run wild in 
All the mazes of his soul, — by dreams and 
Phantoms built his castles, — raised his Babels, — 
Spurned his Lord,' — slew the innocent, — sought for 



ON TIME AND IMMORTALITY. 423 

Mammon, — plead for honor, — worshiped gold, — made 
His gods, — a drunkard was, and showed himself 
Expert in all the wilderness of sin. 
Such were the crimes that called Grod's vengeance forth, 
To scourge the world with fell disease and death. 

Now when Jehovah from his lofty throne, 
Looked down upon the wickedness of man, 
His eyes were pained, — his very soul grew sick, — 
Kepentance moved his bosom ; but not for 
Himself, — for sinners lost. Now God arose 
In the vengeance of his might, — girt his sword 
Upon his thigh, — his thunderbolts prepared, 
And swore by his Almighty power to 
Destroy the world. The flood of his anger 
Was his besom ; — he drew the sword of his 
Wrath, — his thunderbolts made ready, to burst 
In fearful roar, for the retribution 
Of sin, and vindication of his law. 

Summer and Winter came,^and passed away • — 
Years revolved in their primeval rounds; — the 
Sun smiled upon the world as in the days 
Of yore ; — the moon ascended her pathway 
Of rstars ; — the crystal lakes rolled their clear waves 
To the tune of the' piping winds ; — the oceans, 
Moved by gentle gales, swelled in primitive 
Grandeur ; — the rivers that swept along the 
Shores of the sublime highlands, still bore their 
Traffic to the briny deep ; — the stars of 
Heav'n, with their gushing tires, shone on the world 
In the meridian of night ; and earth 
Smiled with abundant harvest, in ev'ry 
Ample round. And all this for who ? for man, — 
The' vile offender, — a poor lost vagrant, — a 
Kobber of mercy, and rebel to God. 
But suddenly the heav'ns became darkened, — 
"Nature assumed a strange appearance, — the 
Fountains of the great deep were br<,*:en up, — 
"God's flood-gates began to open, and his 
Torrents fast descended on a drowning 



424 rice's descant 

World. The vile infidel, long warned by Noali 

Of his fate, began to believe like lost 

Dives ; but too late ! for Noah was shut 

In, and the ark was floating on the vast 

Ocean, fast rising to surround the globe. 

For forty days the flood increased, — swelled the 

Eivers — the rivers the oceans, until 

The highest mountain was overflowed, and 

All mankind, with ev'ry living substance 

Found a watery grave, save Noah, and 

The household of the ark. Here the skeptic, 

When he had passed the bounds of mercy, felt 

His guilt, and the dread sentence of his God. 

Noah, and all his colleagues in the ark, 
Were borne above the element of death ; 
And saved to see the sun absorb the flood, 
And populate this curse-doomed earth again. 

The rainbow, God's bright token in the clouds, 
Declares the world shall be destroyed no more, 
Until the day the worthy bard has sung, 
" That day for which all other days were made." 

Now men increased, and as their numbers grew, 
They grew in vice, and learned to sow the seed 
Of death, — to vex the Lord, — increase his wrath, 
And call his curse once more. Sodom, that God 
Forsaken city, save by his ire, ran 
Swift in every form of sin ; but soon 
Felt its sting, and in oblivion wound 
Its chain. Gomorrah, the twin city of 
The plains, nor least in treason dyed, did rank 
With foes to God, — soon lost its date among 
The sons of men. For those cities, Abram 
Plead ; and had there been ten righteous found 
Therein, the salt had saved them from the flames. 

Now God arose, and in his anger whet 
His flaming sword, to drench it in the blood 
Of his stern enemies ; where mercy long 
Had plead, but plead in vain. Before the scourge, 
He sent his aneels doAvn, to warn once more 



ON TIME AND IMMORTALITY. 425 

That sin-devoted race, and sunder wide 
Tlie right'ous and the wicked. They dwelt with 
Lot 'til near the break of day, and as he 
Lingered long to plead his friend's escape, they 
Forced him, wife and daughters, from the city ; 
And with a stern command, bade them flee for 
Life ! the wife of Lot looked back, — became a 
Lasting monument of sin ! while he, and 
His two daughters fast fled for Zoar's hill. 
Scarce had they left the cities of the plain, 
Ere a storm of brimstone, surcharged with death, 
Swept all their numbers to one common grave. 

Now while my muse descends the stream of Time 
And of God's judgments takes a faint survey; 
In rapid flight I hasten on my course. 
And cast my anchor on Mount Calvary's hill. 
Time is too short to mention Samson's death, 
Or tell the number of Philistines slain ; 
To shov/ the folly of Goliah's threat, 
When he defied the armies of the Lord. 
I therefore bid those ancient scenes farewell ; 
Though their vast numbers meet my passing eye, 
And hasten onward to Jerusalem, 
When Jews by Titus with their temple fell. 

Ever since the fall, War, the foul product 
Of the' monster sin, has shook the world, — destroyed 
Thrones and dominions, — taken and giv'n crowns, — 
Lavished silver and gold, — spread contagion, — 
Poisoned disciples, — made orphans mourn, — caused 
Widows' tears, — spilt rivers of blood, — destroyed 
Cities and temples, — scourged the innocent, 
Forged chains of slav'ry, — set free the pris'ner, — 
Invaded peace, — took virtue's flag, — hardened 
The heart, — poisoned the soul, — silenced the pulse,— 
Destroyed good morals, — made man a demon, — 
Caused the wide world to groan to its centre, 
And clothed mankuid in mournful weeds of woe. 
War first commenced in Heaven, then took its 
Abode in the breast of man ; and has proved 



^36 



426 rice's descant 

Itself, to be the foulest whelp of sin, 
That ever invaded the worlds of God. 

Ye holy Bards, — baptized sons of Levi, — 
Born of the seed of Abraham, who have 
Sung the dirges of your Father's wrath and 
Praise, from the days of Adam, to the date 
( f Jerusalem's fallen grandeur; draw 
Near with your solemn songs of weal and woe, — 
Compose my Descant, and aid me to strike 
The mournfid music of Salem's final groan. 
This frightful theme makes my sad heart to bleed, — 
My soul to quake, — and drowns my eyes in tears. 
0, that my pen were able for this task ! 
To paint in full the Jew's untimely doom. 

To the Jews God gave his holy law. — made 
His covenant, — inspired them with light, — called 
'i hem his people, — blessed them with his favor, 
And gave to them all the rich graces of 
The sons of God ; while the poor Gentile, was 
Left to wander in the labyrinth of 
Vice, and error, — a stranger to virtue, 
Reason, hope, and Heav'n. But God's mercies were 
Slighted : — the Jews were often scourged for guilt ; 
But sinned again. These are they that killed the 
Servants of the living God, and at last 
Slew the Savior in their curse- doomed city. 
Li the superstition, and blindness of 
Their hearts, they incurred Jehovah's wrath, to 
Fall on them according to the presage 
Of his Son, until their streets were crimsoned 
With their own blood, and not one stone in all 
Their walls and tow'rs was left upon another. 
The temple's veil was rent, — its key-stone was 
Broke, and ere that generation passed, by 
The forbidden fire-brand of the Roman 
Soldier, it fell beneath its burning flames. 

Ere the destruction of the Jews the bright 
Harbingers of God left the celestial 
City, and with signs and wonders foretold' 



ON TIME AND IMMORTALITY. 427 

Their doom. For the space of six months a drawn 

Sword hung over Jerusalem ! martial 

Chariots with their charioteers, and 

Horsemen with trumpets, were seen in the heav'ns, 

Maneuvering as on the battle field ! 

The pond'rous gates of the city walls were 

Found unbarred by angels ! an heifer in 

The temple for sacrifice, brought forth a 

Lamb ! a prophetic Jew, stood on the walls 

Day and night, and cried, " woe be unto this 

City !" and last of all, " woe be unto 

Myself also !" and he fell by the dart 

Of his enemy. But this is not all, 

A Savior, after he had wept over 

Jerusalem, plead for their salvation 

With his groans and tears, and after all he 

Could do, being unable to move their 

Hearts, he exclaimed, " behold your house is left 

Unto you des'late ! and ye shall not see 

Me henceforth, 'till ye shall say blessed is 

He that cometh in the name of the Lord." 

Li spite of all these warnings, the lost Jews 

Bent on evil, and veiled in unbelief, 

Remained strangers to salvation, until 

The flames of their Jerusalem portrayed 

Their certain doom, and forged their pond'rous chains 

At last they cried to God for help ! but in 

Their prayer there was no cry, " Jesus save." 

The Jew in his own esteem, could like the 
Giant condor, ascend the heavens above 
Mortal sight, and leave the poor Gentile in 
Regions ftir below. But soon the Heathen 
Took the flight of the eagle, and left the 
Lost Jew to feel his curse-bowed grandeur, and 
Smoulder beneath the ruin of his flames. 

Now the Jews believed Jehovah, as in 
The days of yore, would still their city save. 
Though there had been signs in heaven, and the 
Predictions and warnings of God's only 



428 

Son, to confirm their overthrow ; yet they 
Feared no evil. As the dreamless sleeper 
Lays down in quietude, fearless of his 
Danger near ; so with the Jews, blinded in 
Their zeal, until Titus them did beseige. 

The dread conflict now begins ! the Jews are 
Shut in ! the ponderous engine beats their 
Walls ! the columns remain firm at their posts ! 
The Jews full of confusion have lost their 
Strength ! starvation weakens their ranks ! and 
Threatens greater slaughter than their foes ! while 
Titus, steady to his trust, is forcing 
His way through the walls ! he enters, and now 
Begins the scene of death. The trumpet sounds 
The charge ! the colors are flying ! and the 
Koman eagle is waving over the 
Ranks of the enemy. Now is one wild 
Scene of battle ! the poniard, sabre, and 
Spear, spill the blood of the Jews. Some fall on 
Their own swords ! others cast lots to see who 
Will slay their number, rather than be slain 
By their foes ! while through the streets the crimson 
Stream of life's rich torrent flows. A strange light, 
In the merid'an of day, begins to 
Ascend the heavens ! Jerusalem is 
On fire ! — the temple flames in terrific 
Grandeur ! while every surviving Jew 
Begins to tremble through all the' Holy Land. 
'Tis done ! the scene is over ! — the city 
Of God in ruins ! and her des'lation 
Alone has destroyed the hope of the Jew. 

All the power, glory, and afiluence. 
Of which the Jew could boast, have passed away, 
And left him forsaken of his God, — in 
Wild despair. The land of Judea is 
Now without temple or altar ! and the 
Wandering Jew, branded and scorned for guilt, 
Yet remains the enemy of Jesus ! — 
His only Bedeemer, and only God. 



ON TIME AND IMMORTALITY. 429 

On the plains of Syria, and the Mount 
Of Calvary, the homaged birth-place of 
The world's Redemption, instead of the flag 
Of the Cross, the Saracen banner spreads 
Its sable folds, and their minarets and 
Bastions ascribe to Mahommed's glory, — 
The vile impostor, and the Pagan's god. 
The warrior, that vindicates his prophet's 
Heav'n, treads careless on the sacred dust of 
Departed saints, as if the Lamb of God 
Had never preached his fr'je salvation there. 

Having briefly touched upon the scenes of yore, 
When God poured forth his ire on aliens lost ; 
I hasten onward down the stream of Time, 
To sing of Corsica's triumphant son ; 
Who with his martial glory fired the world 
And made all Europe tremble at his nod. 
Frenchmen, I speak of your departed king. 
Whose high ambition raised him to his throne , 
But pressing pow'r beyond its worthy bounds, 
Destroyed his sceptre, and his glory fell. 
British and Prussian sons, combined to clip 
His wings, — forge his chains, and dispossess him 
Of his martial reign. The tyrant fell at 
The siege of Waterloo, amid the roar 
Of cannon, booming on the midnight air. 

Bonaparte was the monster of his age ! 
He lit up the world with the flames of war ! 
Conquered kingdoms,— destroyed thrones,— extinguished 
Crowns, — razed monasteries, — enfranchised nuns, — 
Made the Pope tremble, — set his prisoners 
Free, — diffused moral poison, — made widows 
And orphans, — involved kingdoms, — spilt rivers 
Of blood, — lavished mammon, — burnt cities, — made 
Deists and infidels, — scourged the world, — drove his 
Char'ot over groans and death, — sailed on seas 
Of blood, — trained his soldiers for a two-fold 
Hell, — slew the innocent, and strode like a 
Demon over the empires of Europe. 



480 rice's descant 

And all for what ? for that desire of fame, 
Which forged his chains on St. Helena's isle. 

We now trace this murderer in his course 
Through the Russian campaign ! We begin at 
The siege of Smolensko, where a hundred 
Cannon from the stern ranks of the Russians 
Poured upon the French columns with dreadfu 
Slaughter ! while in return they sent back a 
More terrible carnage ! The battle raged in 
Desperate fury ! but in spite of the 
Russian force, the enemy passed over 
The entrenched suburbs, and fought at the point 
Of the bay'net ! The earth was strewn with the 
Dead and dying ! — blood in torrents ran I — the 
Shrieks of the wounded rent the air, while the 
Russians returned to Smolensko, to meet 
A more terrible doom ! The French pursued 
Them to the city, and recommenced the 
Work of death ! Vast numbers in both armies 
Fell, ere Napol'on's standard triumphed in 
The cap'tal, mid the ruins of the flames. 

We now approach the scene of Borodino, 
On that mem'rable day, when thousands for 
The last time beheld the light ! The moment 
Had arrived, when the awful discharge of 
Two thousand cannon, was to break the deep 
Silence of expectation, and arouse 
In those mighty armies all the terrors 
Of war ! The charge of the French columns on 
Bagrations ranks, made a horrible slaughter I 
Yet Napol'on pressed the battle to his 
Lines, over the bastions of the dead, which 
Had fallen to rise no more ! The conflict 
Raged with terrible carnage, while thousands 
Of cannon answered cannon, the smoke of 
Which shut out tlie sun from the field of death ! 
The sabres of forty thousand dragoons 
Clashed in horrid gloom, while countless bay'nets, 
Bursting through the sable vapor, strowed the 



ON TIME AND IMMORTALITY. 481 

Eattle field with blood, and mountains of the slain. 
The approaching night closed the scene of that 
Sanguinary day, which swept to the grave 
Near eighty thousand soldiers from the field. 

Napol'on's thirst for blood and fame increased ! 
He looked forward to the treasures, towers, 
And min'rets of Moscow, with an eagle's 
Eye, and pulse high bounding for victory, — 
Expecting a refuge from the scourging 
Element! On September fourteenth, his 
Army appeared before the city ! — his 
Guards entered the gate in hope of conquest! — 
His troops moved for the Kremlin ! — the Russians 
Had taken refuge there, — closed their gates, and 
Struggled for defence ! — The French found their way 

through, — 
Sacrificed their innocent victims, and 
Soon spread over the city, committing 
Ravages beyond expression ! The streets, 
Houses, and cellars flowed with blood ^^ — manhood 
Was lost in the French soldier ! — he was like 
The lion in search of prey ! — was dyed with 
Every crime ! for Napoleon had 
Promised his troops the treasures of Moscow. 

To destroy the asylum of the French 
Army, the Russians fired their city ! The 
Soldiers enraged at the sight, increased their 
Outrage and slaughter like fiends incarnate ! 
The flames enraged ! — the Kremlin took fire ! and 
The glory of Moscow sunk in ruins. 

Bonaparte, with disappointed hope, left 
The city, to meet the scourge of freezing 
Elements, — the swift descending snows, and 
Approaching frosts of Winter ; which threatened 
Death and despair to his army ; while the 
Russians pursued him in his retreat with 
A horrible slaught<x\ The dogs with their 
Frightful howl, and clouds of ravens hov'ring 
Over the dead, presaged their doom, and struck 



432 rice's descant 

The boldest hearts with terror. Their supposed 

Kefuge at Smolensko had been destroyed, — 

All their provisions consumed, — the ninth corps 

Had gone, and those soldiers without shelter 

That encamped in the street, were found dead at 

The fires they had kindled. For the space of 

Three leagues from this point, the road was strown with 

The dead and dying around the green boughs 

They had sought to inflame. Already since 

The retreat, Napol'on had lost by the 

Russians, fatigue, and famine, near eighty 

Thousand men. And for what? to satiate 

The vain ambition of his mad career. 

We now approach the' scene of Beresina, 
The climax of the campaign, in which were 
The' vilest acts of sin, and deepest stains of 
Human guilt. Close piirsued by the Russians the' 
French were in haste to cross the bridge ; — a strife 
Rose between the foot soldiers, and dragoons, 
To see which should first secure their passage, 
And thousands were slain in this sore conflict ; 
Which formed a mountain of the dead at the 
Mouth of tlie bridge, that were crushed by horses, 
And wheels of artillery. At length the 
Enemy hove in sight, and the struggle 
Beggared description. Thousands despaired of 
All hope, plunged into the Beresina 
To die. Having passed over, they burnt the 
Bridge, and left in the hands of the Russians 
More than twenty thousand of the sick and 
Wounded. The enemy approached their prey !- — 
The night \v;s dark and wild! but a darker 
Night veiled the hearts of those dying soldiers. 

We still pass on and behold Napol'on 
Struck with fear and guilt, made his desertion. 
His soldiers cried, " is he who lavished our 
Blood afraid to die with us ?" Expiring 
Warriors still continued to fall, and their 
Flesh was often eaten by their starving 



ON TIME AND IMMORTALITY. 433 

Comrades. Some sat down on lifeless bodies 
Around the fire they had kindled, and when 
It was extinguished, being unable 
To rise, they fell by the side of the dead. 
Others plunged themselves into the flames, and 
Died in horrid convulsions. When a worn 
Out soldier fell, the next would rob him of 
All he i^ossessed. His cry was, " lielp ! they 
Rob me ! they murder me I" but they heard not 
His prayer. Naked amid the freezing 
Elements, wild beasts, and vultures of prey 
They left him in all the horrors of war, 
To weep and die in deep-toned agonies. 

my God I are these the savage acts of 
Thy creatures, amid the Gospel of light. 
And the regen'rating blood of the Cross ? 

I might mention the battle of Waterloo, 
The last conflict of Napol'on ! I might 
Tell of the twenty thousand, that strewed the 
Field of the slain, on that mem'rable day ! 

1 might show Bonaparte's fierce ambition, 
As he poured fresh columns on the English 
Lines, when Wellington wiped the sweat from his 
Face, and prayed that Blucher, or night would come I 
I might tell of the dire curse shown on his 

Brow, and the fearful emotions of his 

Heart, when he saw the Prussians bursting the 

Distant wood ! I might display his spirit'.s 

Wrath, when he sent his imper'al guard, to 

Pour fresh slaughter on the British columns ! 

I might tell of Napoleon's last hope, 

When the Prussians gave the second discharge 

Of artillery on the enemy, 

As they wheeled and flew I The battle is lost ! 

And Wellington has taken the field ! The French 

Tyrant fled, pursued by the cannons' roar. 

Bonaparte is bound to rage no more ! Like 
The wild tiger caged, he may thirst for blood, 
But he shall thirst in vain ! As the king of 
21 



37 



434 



Birds, he could soar the heavens of his martial 

Glory, and behold the storm, and lightnings 

Play below ; but he shall not soar again I 

The distant island of the sea has caged 

Him, and he has become a doomed pris'ner ! 

His soldiers that have survived their dangers, 

Shall no longer fear his voice, or tremble 

At his nod ! Never again shall he breathe 

The pure air of freedom, or terrify 

The world with his sanguine revolutions ; 

For his stronger foes have chain 'd him, and in 

His fetters he shall die. Amid the wild 

Tempest, and the waves lashing themselves far 

Upon the island, the last stages of 

A corroding cancer drink his blood, while 

His spirit in its expiring struggle 

Is watching the current of battle. His 

Sun is about to set in darkness, mid 

Fountains of tears, — streams of blood, and oceans 

Of woe ; — caused by the ambition of this 

Expiring conqueror. The nations shall breathe free 

For his sun has gone down to rise no more. 

The man that slieds the blood of his fellow 
For envy, — ambition, or gold, is a 
Murderer, — the brother of Cain, — the vile 
Slave of the devil ; and will so be judged 
At the last great day. The reason why the 
Gospel is so dormant in flooding the 
World with its light, is because Pagans look 
On Europe and America, and say, 
" How these Christians murder one another?" 
There is no evil this side the regions 
Of eternal dispair, that compares to 
War. It is the fruit of demons, and their 
Colleagues incarnate. On this theme I say 
No more ; but drop my pen, and sigh farewell. 

Having sung of the besoms of God's wrath, 
And of war. man's vilest instrument for 
The untimely destruction of a world ; 



ON TIME AND IMMORTALITY. 435 

I now hasten to the angel of death, 
That drives the chariot of the ire of 
God over the vast millions of his slain. 

My muse once more awake, still strike thy harp 
In tones of woe, that rend the heart, and scourge 
The world. My Descant now is death, — written 
On the flag, borne by the pale horse and his 
Rider, in sable capitals. He makes 
All flesh to kiss the dust from whence it rose. 
His vast dominion is the known empire 
Of a fallen world ; — his commission is 
From Him who gave the sentence, and his pow'r 
Shall never cease 'till all mankind are slain. 
He has no mercy ; — to him pardon is 
A lost stranger, since justice wove his crown. 
This stern king has waved his banner over 
All flesh ever since the fall of Adam ; 
And will ride forth in victory, until 
The trumpet of the first resurrection. 

Yc sad victims of this conqueror, can 
You tell me what it is to die, and pass 
The Ptiver of Jordan ? Can you unfold 
To me the frightful sensations, when the 

Clay building begins to sink beneath the 

Throes of convulsive agony, and the 

Chills of death to freeze every flowing 

Vein ? Can you explain to me the deep woes 

Of the mind as the' heart begins to faint, and 

The gangrene to destroy the extremities 

Of life ? Can you show me the internal 

Strife of soul and body, indicated 

By the ghastly visage writhing in the^ 

Groans of dissolution ? Can you tell of 

The solemn farewell of the departing 

Spirit, as she sits on the quiv'ring lips 

Of mortality, ready to close her 

Accounts with earth, and take her flight to God ? 

I pause for a reply ; but receive no 

Answer. The beholder may sympathize his 



436 rice's descant 

Dying friend, and be moved to tears ; but to 
Him this is not death. No finite mind can 
Convey to the human understanding 
The vast weight of expiring agonies. 

Death has no respect of persons, but makes 
Universal triumph o'er his victims. 
The black and white, rich and poor, young and old, 
King and beggar, are all destroyed by the 
Same tyrant. The youth, in the fashions and 
Amusements of life, glorying in the 
Theatre, or dark dens of pollution, 
iMust fall a prey to the same conqueror. 
The man in life's meridian, seeking 
The vain riches and honors of the world, 
Or rejoicing in its vanities, shall 
Drink the sad cup of death. The king on his 
Throne, who extends his arm of pow'r, must fall 
By the sword of this grim monster. The slave, 
In chains of bondage, shall feel his sanguine 
Streams of life expiring, and sleep on the 
Same dreamless bed, as that of his master. 

Ye frail sons of earth, robed in glory, or 
AVading the depths of penury and pain. 
Come reason with death ! — meditate the hour 
When you must bow down under your last strong 
Agony, — the world recede from your sight, — 
Your friends take their long farewell, — your eyes close 
For the last time, — the wheels of life stand still. 
And your barques founder in the dreamless tomb. 
Forestall your fate ! — for there is no escape ! — 
The shroud, — the coffin, — the funeral pall, — 
The narrow house, and gnawing worm are yours. 
Look upon the sun, moon and stars with their 
Gushing fires ; — behold the lake, — the island, — 
The river, and mountain, and remember 
That ere long you shall see them not again. 
Your earth or ocean graves, that have received 
You with many tears, shall your images 
Deface, and the mould that has nourished your 



ON TIME AND IMMORTALITY. 437 

Growth, to return to prior dust, will soon 

Transform you to the sundry elements 

Of nature, to be brothers of briny 

Waves, — flinty rocks, — ^mountain oaks, — the food of 

Man, or the isentient clod, turned by 

The planter's slave, or ploughshare of the swain. 

But in your last slumber you shall not rest 
Alone. You shall lay down with the ancient 
Patriarchs, — with kings that swayed their golden 
Sceptres,— the stars of earth, — the wise and good, 
And the holy seers of gone by ages. 
The lakes and oceans with their rolling waves, — 
The murmuring brooks that flow the verdant 
Meads, — the swelling rivers that sweep along 
The sublime highlands, — the vales extended 
Between the lofty hills, and the mountains 
Iron-bound, — ancient as creation's birth, all 
Conspire to adorn the vast tomb of man. 
The sun and moon, and all the lamps of heav'n. 
Have shone on earth's common grave since Adam 
Died. The legions, that now tread this wide earth, 
Are few to those that sleep in its bosom. 
Let your souls take wing, and the African 
Desert pierce ; — view Iceland's eternal frosts I 
Then light on the Rocky Mountains, where the 
Missouri hears no murmur but its own ! 
Yet in those dark regions, millions since Time 
Began, have laid them down in their last sleep. 

So shall you rest amid earth's revolving 
Ages, while the thoughtless ones will cease to 
Think of your departure : but there is no 
Loss in that ; for weeping cannot raise the 
Dead, or save the living from the tomb. All 
That breathe must share your fate. The careless, in 
Folly bent, will laugh o'er your dust, and sport 
In the phantoms of their brain ; — the vain pomp 
Of earth shall swell their songs, and drive from them 
The solemn thoughts of death ; yet all these ,gay 
And simple ones shall forget their wine and 



•37 



43'8 rice's descant 

Mirth, and make their bed with you. As the length 
Of Time revolves away, the race of men, — 
Son and sire, — maid and matron, — prince and slave,- 
The fair infant and giant form, shall be 
Borne along to join the departed dead, 
And swell the bosom of earth's common grave. 
The pains of death are greatly enhanced, or 
JMitigated, according to the prospect 
Of a future state. Some have died in the 
Full expectation of Heaven, others 
Under the most frightful prospects of Hell. ^ 
Such was the case of dying Altamont. 
His disease indicated approaching 
Dissolution ; but more terrible was 
The disease of his mind. His unkindness 
Had murdered his wife ; his dissipation 
Beggared his boy ; and his sins destroyed his 
Soul. His confession was, " I have neither 
Life nor hope. I have spurned my God, — denied 
His Son, and plucked his ruin. Oh Time ! Time ! 
Thou art lost ! forever lost in the swift 
Madness of my soul. Oh for a month ! a 
Week, to wash away my sins ! But I plead 
In vain. Time has wove my winding sheet, and 
Made my grave in Hell. To me all Heaven 
Is lost. Already I begin to feel 
The gnawings of the worm that never dies. 
This soul is full mighty to reason, full 
Powerful to suffer ! and must soon survive 
The pangs of death, and prove itself immortal. 
And as for God, nothing less could cause the 
Pains I feel. Didst thou endure the mountain 
Of guilt upon me, thou wouldst struggle with 
The martyr for his stake, and bless Heav'n for 
Those flames that are not an eterrnal fire. 
My principles have poisoned the world ! And 
Is there yet another Hell ? Oh ! thou most 
Indulgent God ! Hell is a refuge, if 
It hide me from thy frown." Soon after his 



ON TIME AND IMMORTALITY. 439 

Reason failed ; — liis frightful appearance told 
Of horrors not to be repeated, or 
Ever forgotten I And ere the sun had ^ 

Gilded the eastern horizon, this gay, 
Noble, and most wretched Altamont died. 
We now invert the picture, and portray 
Another personage, that fell in the 
Days of her youth by fatal consumption. 
Her form was the symmetry of beauty ; — 
She was the object of her parent's love ; — 
And the fair rose of the morning glories. 
Health smiled upon her cheek, and long life was 
Her prospect. But suddenly her fond hopes 
Were blasted; — the' destroyer came, and in his 
Assault, chained his victim with the disease 
Of death. Aid was called for, but in vain was 
The arm of man ; for her case was mortal, * 
And knew of no reprieve. But thank God, she 
Was not like the dying queen, that cried, "a 
Million of money for a moment of 
Time " ! but stood firm on the Bock of Ages. 
Her parents had taught her Jesus, and sh<^ 
Found her Savior. She felt her sins all washed 
Away in the blood of atonement, and 
Like Paul she was ready to die. Truly 
Through the Jordan of death, was a dreary ' 
Passport ; but when she saw her Savior had 
Perfumed the grave for the believer, and 
Planted the flow'rs of Heav'n's eternal spring 
In the moss of the dark sepulchre, her 
Soul shouted for joy, and triumphed o'er her 
Last en 'my. Death steady to his purpose. 
Pursued her close through ev'ry lane of life ! 
At length she felt the fatal moment near, 
When, like a bird freed from his cage, she should 
Burst her clay prison, and go home to God. 
She called her parents around her dying 
Bed, — thanked them for those lessons that preached the 
Savior, — admonished them to adorn their 



440 rice's descant 

Profession by a holy life, — then bade 
Them her last farewell. And after making 
A solemn preparation by pray'r, uttered 
The last groan of mortality, and the 
Swift winged angels bore her home to God. 

Having worn out my harp on the sad dirge 
Of a dying world, and much exhausted 
The harper's strength, I will attempt to string 
It anew for a brighter theme, and by 
The grace of God, give the pleasing tune of 
The world's Redemption by the' blood of the Cross 

The bound prisoner, sentenced to his dark 
Cell without hope of future exemption, 
Is an object of extreme despair. But 
Mercy revives his hope, — his reprieve is 
Granted, — is borne to his ear, — he shouts for 
Joy, — fcaps like the bounding roe in the fresh 
Breezes of heav'n, and imparts his gracious 
Thanks to his liberal benefactor. 

But how faint the emblem ? I see the lost 
Sinner in his mire and pollution, with 
His sentence from the lips of the' Eternal, 
Which bound him in the fir^t and second death 
Thus without God, he was lost in the gloom 
Of night, where no ray of light could beam on 
His pathway, — no created arm burst his chains. 
There dwelt the mournful prisoner alone, 
Doomed by that law which knew of no reprieve. 

But a God began to move in mercy 
For an apostate world. A voice was heard 
Through Heav'n, " lo I come " ! At this the harps of 
Angels were mute, and they stood amazed, that 
God the Son should cast off his crown. Amid 
The throng of seraphim and cherubim, 
He laid by the raiment of his glory, — 
Bade farewell to Heaven's shining millions. 
And with the flight of a God descended 
From his throne, — made the manger his cradle, 
And his birth place the' stable of Bethlehem. 



ON TIME AND IMMORTALITY. 441 

By this condescension, — his subsequent 
Sufferings on the Cross, and his triumph 
Over the grave, — he trod upon the world's 
Last en'my, and fastened to his char'ot 
Wheels the conquered millions of death and Hell 

To describe the Savior's sufferings for 
Man's redemption, my soul takes wing to the 
Garden of Gethsemane, and beholds 
His agony as he fell on his face 
And prayed to God. There the blessed Jesus, 
With blood pressing through ev'ry pore, bore the 
Pond'rous load of human guilt, which would have 
Crushed a world to Hell. In his midnight woes, 
With his soul sorrowful even unto 
Death, and his human'ty sinking under 
The load of guilt he bore, an angel drew 
Near, and strengthened the suff 'ring Son of God. 

We now hasten to Calvary's horrid 
Eminence, — to the Savior's dying hour. 
He was condemned by his own creation, 
And spiked to the cursed wood. They reared him 
Up, a spectacle to Heaven and earth, 
Amid the sneers of the Jew and Gentile 
Throng. His temples were mangled with a crown 
Of thorns, — his hands and feet cleft with rugged 
Irons, — his body covered with wounds, and his 
Soul pierced with extreme agonies. At this 
Phenomenon, nature could no longer 
Endure the suff 'rings of her Creator 
She vibrated with horror through all ner 
Dominions. The sun shrouded in darkness, 
Kolled back his char'ot, and refused to 
Shine for the space of three hours, on the curs'd 
Abode of man. The mountains quaked, — the rocks 
Kent, — the earth trembled, and the temple's veil 
Was rent in twain. Lost angels heard the cry 
Of the world's redemption, and they howled through 
All their dark domains, while death let fall the 
Chains that bound his pris'ners, and they started 
22 



442 rice's descant 

Into life. Jesus knowing that all things 
Were accomplished, he cried with a loud voice, 
" It is finished, and he gave up the Ghost." 

Glory to God I that redemption by the 
Cross was not confined to Jews, or a part 
Of the Gentiles; but was made for "the sins 
Of the whole world." That when Jesus cried, " It 
Is finished, and bowed his head and died," he 
Then made an atonement for all mankind. 
Here we see the Savior's sacrifice has 
Made it possible for ev'ry slave, to 
Burst his chains through faith in redeeming blood. 
And escape the woes of the second death. 

Ye potentates, that wield your vast sceptres 
Over empires, and fare sumptuously 
Ev'ry day, come lay your honor at the 
Feet of this King, who spilt his blood for your 
Souls' redemption. Ye nobles of the earth, 
Whose chariots bear you above the wants 
Of penury, come drink the healing streams. 
And feast on the rich banquet of Calv ry. 
Ye vile murd'rers, that drove the spear into 
Your Savior's side, repent of your deepest 
Stains of guilt, and through faith receive pardon 
In his blood. Ye lost vagrants, bowed by the 
Scourge of poverty, having neither home 
Nor friends, come find a refuge in your Lord. 
Ye disappointed ones, whose hearts have been 
Wounded by the blasted flowers of Time, 
Pluck the fair rose of Sharon, and your lost 
Hopes shall wound no more. Ye that seek for the 
Falling crowns of earth, forego your doubtful 
Toil, and take the rich garland purchased by 
The sad Victim of the cross. Let ev'ry 
Lost one forsake his way, and believe in 
The sacrificial death of the Son of 
God, and he shall be found of him in the 
Great day of God Almighty and the Lamb. 

When the Savior had given up his life 



ON TIME AND IMMORTALITY. 443 

Upon the cross, and entered the dreary 

Sepulchre, his disciples believed his 

Tomb to be the grave of Immortality. 

But soon reviving hope inspired their hearts, 

When the guard were palsied by the pow'r of 

God, — the stone rolled back from the door, — the grave 

Opened, — the body of Jesus not there, 

And a well known voice said, " Mary " ! then his 

Loved ones rejoiced in hope, to see their Lord ; 

And they embraced their triumphant Savior. 

Caesar's seal, and Pilate's men of war, could 
No longer bind the Prisoner. Death gave 
Up his chains into the hands of Him by 
AVhom death itself shall die. As a man he 
Humbled himself to enter the grave ; but 
As a God he burst the tomb in vict'ry, — 
Took the keys of death and hell, and placed them 
In his wounded side, — rose immortal, — was 
Death's last plague, and the grave's exulting King. 

Nor has Jesus risen alone. By his 
Exultation he has secured the last 
Triumph of ev'ry saint from his bed of 
Dust! " For if Christ be risen, then shall we 
Also be raised." There will be a period 
In the history of Time, when the sun 
Shall be darkened, — the moon turned to blood, and 
The stars fall from heaven like leaves of Autumn. 
Then shall the trump of the archangel sound, 
And the right'ous dead shall burst their marble 
Shrines, to die no more. Nor they alone ! For 
The last trump is yet to sound, at the voice 
Of which, the wide earth must tremble to her 
Centre, — the oceans swell with tremendous 
Commotion, — the elements melt with fervent 
Heat, — the heav'ns roll together as a scroll, 
And the flames of conflagration destroy 
This heinous abode of man. Then shall earth's 
Cemetery give up the millions of 
Its wicked dead, — never to sleep again. 



,444 rice's descant 

my God ! into what terror would it 

Strike our frightful souls, should thy dread lightnings 

Now begin to thwart these heavens above, 

And thy rending thunders to shake the world ' 

But I hear a voice from unbelief, " the 
Dead shall never rise." Infidel wisdom 
Denies the pow'r of God to raise the dust 
Of man, — combined with sundry elements. 
The skeptic, bound fast to nature's laws, is 
Forgetful of her Creator's power, — 
Expels the act of miracle from his 
l^'aith, — limits Jehovah's might, and rides in 
His car of oblivion to future life. 
But we are not of those that close the door 
Of Heav'n, — deny God's omnipotence, and 
In eternal annihilation sleep. 

That voice which said, "let there be light, — let the 
Worlds revolve, — let stars bedeck the heavens, — 
Let Adam live," and in type of what shall 
Be, said " Lazariis come forth," shall awake 
Our dust from the sleep of ages to a 
Life of Immortality. Nor shall we 
Live alone ! The Savage wild, — the polished 
Greek, — the Tongousian ranger, — the dwarf 
Icelander, — the Amazonian, and 
Scottish chief, that for gone by ages have 
Sunk in death's embrace, and through the changes 
Of Time, exist in the curly vapors, — 
The blades of grass, — ocean's waves, or earthly 
Clods, shall hear the resurrection trumpet, 
And live to die no more. Nor they alone! 
All the race of Adam that have died, or 
Will, before the trump shall sound, shall hear the 
New creating fiat, shake oif their chains 
And rise in triumph o'er their vanquished king. 

My Descant now approaches the final 
Day of retribution for a risen. 
And congregated world. The vast millions 
Since the days of Adam, have already 



ON TIME AND IMMORTALITY. 445 

Heard the angel's trumpet, and burst the bonds 

Of their dreamless sepulchres. They now wait 

For that voice which calls to judgment. The judge 

Assumes the glory of his pow'r, — he sits 

On his brilliant throne, — is surrounded by 

Clouds of angels, — is clothed with flaming fire — 

His eyes sparkling with light exceeding the 

Blazing meteor, — his head encircled 

With brilliancy surpassing the mid-day 

Sun, — his feet like unto tine brass, holding 

In his hands the seven stars, — he wears a 

Royal diadem, — he appears ! " But how 

Unlike the man that died on Calvary." 

His mandate now assembles the countless 

Millions around his majestic glory; — 

Waiting in awful suspense to hear their 

Final doom. This is the day for which man 

Was made, — for which the sun has shone, — for which 

Time has been, and for which Heav'n's blood stained the 

Soldier's driven spear. The great day of dread 

Decision, that drives the unshaken bolts 

Of Hell's dark domain, which bind the sinner 

AVith lost demons in the red waves of fire ! 

And crowns the saint with the blood-bought garland 

Of the Cross, — the fadeless robe of Heav'n, — the 

Golden harp, and song of eternal life. 

This the day of God Almighty's wrath, and 

Of the Lamb. At thought of this, each mundane 

Wish lets go its eager grasp, and catches 

At the faintest hope of Heav'n. The earth had 

Never seen a larger host than when the 

Foe of Greece spread o'er the land ; but this was 

Small compared to the army of the skies. 

Mid this clould of witnesses, the redeemed of 

The Lord will lift up their heads rejoicing ; 

While the wicked, stung with keen remorse, shall 

Linger in wild despair to meet their doom. 

The waging warrior, whose glory has been 
For vict'ry and honor, — who steeled his heart 



88 



446 rice's descant 

Against the prayer of his ^ ictim, — assumed 
The right of God to scourge the world without 
His mandate, — drove his chariot over 
Thousands of his slain, — showed himself a fiend 
Incarnate, is now caught in the judgment 
Sentence, to inherit the dark world of woe ! 

The foul murd'rer I the vilest object of a 
Fallon world ! who for the love of gold, and 
The want of humanity, has taken 
The life of the innocent ! and what proves 
His guilt of the blackest dye, he has laid 
In ambush, and buried himself in guile 
To shed blood. But an Almighty arm has 
Bound him, " hand and foot!" and the deputized 
iVngcl of the Judge casts him into fire, 
Wliere red waves of sorrow shall follow wave ! 

The poor drunkard, that wallows in the mire, — 
Makes a beast of what God made man, — poisons 
Soci'ty, — degrades his wife and children, — 
AVastes his scanty living, — disturbs the peace, — 
Destroys his health, — blasts his mind, and becomes 
A nuisance to God and man, is found at 
The judgment far on the left, while the voice 
Of Jesus proclaims his verdict, " depart," 
And he plunges the flames of " wrath to come !' 

The alcoholic vender, that spreads the 
Bane of death among the masses, — for love 
Of gold makes inebriates, — beggars their 
Helpless offspring, — inverts peace to war, — weaves 
The pall of despair, — digs untimely graves, — 
Shortens the day of grace, — blasts the parent's 
Hope, — makes youth and age insane, and tremens 
With forestalling woe, to shake its victims 
Over the yawning gulf! — now stands aghast, 
To wail his doom in " everlasting fire!" 

The vile Deist that spurned the sinner's Hope, — 
The world's Redeemer, — the Bock of defence, — 
The Oblation for guilt, and the only 
Star that ever shone on a fallcm world, 



ON TIME AND IMMORTALITY. 447 

Void of prelibation has appeared at 

This final scene. What phenomenon meets 

His sight ! He beholds a Man he never 

Knew but to spurn, — the despised Nazarene 

That prayed in Gethsemane. But justice 

Has caught him, and his retribution is 

At hand. The dark veil of unbelief has 

Fled ; — death has failed to be eternal sleep ; — 

The son of Mary is now the Son of 

God ; — immortal weal or woe belongs to 

Man ; — miracles were by Messiah wrought; — 

He raised a Lazarus from the grave ; — the 

Widow's son, — healed diseases, — stilled the waves, — 

Cast out devils, and arose triumphant 

O'er his tomb. All this he now believes, — but 

Too late ! for his faith makes lost angels quail, 

And sinners mourn that died in unbelief. 

The Judge displays his wrath, — his lightnings gleam, 

His thunders roar, and his expedition 

^inds fast the skeptic in " the second death." 

For he that spurns the Son, dispels a crown, 

And plucks a thorn his withered scul to sting. 

The vain Atheist, raised from the grave of 
Centuries amid the burning fires of 
The resurrection morn, stands aghast at 
This mournful scene, and wails the sentence of 
His final doom. A God he doubts no moon, — 
His unbelief is gone, — his faith is now 
Complete ; but such as devils feel in chains 
Of woe. No more he spurns the notice of 
The sun, — the gushing stars, — the silver morn, — 
The satelites opaque, and nature's book 
As proof of God. No more his voice shall swell 
With serpent hiss, and foul revenge, to mar 
The great Supreme, and list disciples to 
Weave their pall for death. Never again will 
He God's book a fiction call, — his Lord an 
Imposter vile, with obdurate heart and 
Eyes excluding light. Poor man ! with frantic 



448 rice's descant 

Shriek he sinks beneath Jehovah's ire, and 
Waits in dread despair to take the shroud, that 
Veils the spirit for the tomb. Hark ! I hear 
His sentence ! " Gro," saith the Judge, "bind him 
Hand and foot," to share the fate of demons lost. 
Too late he pleads ! for mercy's day is past, — 
His verdict given, and his spirit damned. 
Such is the fate of those, who wisdom drive 
From sight, when in God's holy balance weighed. 

I see another cloud of ghastly fiends. 
Gathered from the grave of ages, wailing 
Mid this countless throng. They stand before the 
Avenger of blood ! the Man they reviled, — 
Buffeted, — spit upon, — scourged, — mocked, and 

crowned. 
With a thorny wreath. But how changed ! He is 
No more the incarnate son of Mary, 
Arraigned before Pilate's bar ! No more he 
Intercedes for the Jews that clamored for 
His blood ! No more he pleads for his murd'rers 
Mid the groans of his crucifixion ! No 
More with tears he endures the burlesque of 
Sinners ! but claims the glory he possessed 
Ere the world began. The Jews no longer 
Spurn their King ; but own his scepter as lost 
Spirits own. He now assumes his pow'r, — calls 
His angels forth, and with a dread command 
That makes the guilty soul shed tears of blood, 
He drives them out, where "utter darkness" weaves 
Their pall, — where tears fall on tears, — sighs follow 
Sighs, — groans tell of groans, and sorrow treads on 
Eternal sorrows. No longer justice 
Waits for these, who cried a Barabbas free, 
To crucify the only Son of God. 

The worldling vain, for terrene glory bound; — 
Aspired his gods in all their sundry forms ; — 
Drank from the wells of earth's polluted fount 
In filthy draughts that never quenched his 
Thirst : — but still he cried for more. Perchance in 



ON TIME AND IMMORTALITY. 449 

Madness he arose the hill, the miser 

Scaled ; and with nerves of steel, and iron grasp, 

His char'ot drove o'er suflPring poor, with ears 

Closed, — a marble heart, and eyes that never 

Wept for woe. Perchance he run to gain a 

Crown of some terrestrial birth in honor's 

Field ; and by his treach'rous course he soared to 

Cabinets of fame, or presidential 

Seat, with heart unconscious of his country's 

Weal, as if no higher courts his deeds in 

Requisition called. He may be one that 

Eeveled in the midnight hour at the viol's 

Alluring chant, — the gambler's sad resort, — 

Pollution's foulest den, — the drunkard's vile 

Retreat, or the vain fashions of a lost 

World's delight, in all its blandish forms. Such 

Are the gods that blind the worldling's heart, till 

Mercy's eyes have ceased to weep, and judgment 

Fires send forth their flames to blast his dying soul. 

He mourns ! but too late ! — Heav'n'sgate is closed! 

the 
Books appear! — his doom is sealed! — his sentence 
Giv'n! — which digs his grave mid lost angels' tombs, 

The sanguine king, that gloried in his shame. 
With trembling nerve, and craven heart now meets 
His Judge! that Judge who lives to die no more. 
Death took his fading crown mid revolving 
Empires, — streams of blood, — the saint's expiring 
Groan, — the'pris'ner's galling chain, — his hostile reign 
O'er subjects of his charge; — and when, Nero 
Like, he drove his martial steeds through widows' 
Tears,— the Christian slew,— spurned the King of kings; 
Then with a foundered barque, and hellish groan, 
He cast his anchor in a demon's grave. 
But by the trump his vault was shook ; — his ear 
Deaf was called to hear; and his mortal dust 
Immortal made, now meets the IMonarch of 
The skies. Amazed he stands with scepter lost. 
Mid earth's vain kings that held their dying crowns. 

*37 

•38 



450 rice's descant. 

But how sad the scene! No more he shuns his 
Retribution just ! — no more evades the 
Sentence of his Judge ! for the great day of 
His wrath has come! in which the' monarch, stained 

with 
Blood, shall die to kill no more. This is he. 
Who slew the saints in God's redeeming light ; — 
Drew his sword against Messiah's claims ; — saved 
The guilty in forbidden sins ; and braved 
The terrors of the judgment day. As the 
Fool he died amid the Gospel's sound, — the 
Pure blood of the Cross, and Jesus' triumph 
O'er the tomb. Such is the fate of him, who 
For terrene scepters of mortal pinions 
Born, sold a crown lost "worlds want wealth to buy. 

Another monster born in human shape. 
Bearing the stamp of hypocrite by name. 
In lone despair now meets the judgment fires, 
And wails the sentence of his final doom. 
This is he, who on the shores of Time for 
Love of gold, assumed the right God's flaming 
Truth to preach, and call forth aliens to the 
Shepherd's fold. In circumvention skilled, he 
Played his game full well ; — from the flock he drew 
His chosen gods ; — to afiiuence rose ; — in 
Char'ots swept the higher courts ; — stood first in 
Fashions vile ; and in the sacred desk, with 
Marble heart, — oft swelled in gaudy form, to 
Bob his soul, — the liv'ry of God ; and as 
Lost angels, wove his shroud of mournful dye, 
To plunge the lake of sins eternal ire. 
His heart is veiled no more! — the Judge has broke 
His spell! and the harvest due to him shall 
Now be rept in ample sheaves, — laden with 
Fruit , — such as dying spirits only share. 
Had he the solar system made of gold, 
And countless stars that gem the distant space ; 
He'd give them all his day of grace to buy, 
That hope might claim lost Paradise again. 



ON TIME AND IMMORTALITY. 451 

Too late his eyes expand, — his soul takes heed ! 
For the door is shut .' and the false virgin 
That had no oil, shall enter in no more. 

Sinners of all grades, surround the white throne ! 
The' swearer, — reviler, — miser, — tattler, — thief, 
And all Adam's race that died in sin, have 
Met in this countless throng. The Judge now reads 
Their solemn sentence, *' depart ye cursed 
Into everlasting fire, prepared for 
The devil and his angels," while saints and 
Seraphim confirm the righteous verdict. 
With the loud acclamations of " amen!" 

Once more I sweep my lyre in tones of woe. 
Hark ! I hear the victim's wail as she sails 
The flaming sea, — bound in the serpent's coil 
Of baneful fangs, and tail of venomed dart. 
And as he wounds her dying soul, with sting 
Imbued in God's eternal ire, I hear 
Her shrieks and bitter groans that chime the dirgd 
Of angels lost, — uttered in deep-toned wails 
Through all the howling regions of the damned. 
Made fast in chains of wrath, and devils' fangs, 
She struggles to be free ! but strives in vain. 

On either side over this vast lake of fire, 
I see spirit war with spirit, — demon 
War with demon, — serpent coil with serpent ! 
And onward sweep in combat sore ! dying 
By their wounds the sad death lost spirits die. 
But in demise they live ! for spirit has 
No end ! survives all life but God's ! This tells 
The climax of their doom ! and buries hope, 
Once free to gain, in Hell's eternal grave. 

Still gazing on this sea of fire, dire sights 
I see, — dread sounds I hear. As the flaming 
Pit of damnation deep expands its jaws 
Of liquid fire ! throwing its curly waves 
Of calid flames, and smoke of sulph'rous fumes, 
O'er the deep gulf of woe! I hear the lost 
Spirit shriek, but shriek in vain ! see scalding 



452 rice's descant 

Tears distil, "but not in Mercy's sight!" hear 
Sighs that ever sigh ! groans that ever groan ! 
And dashing waves of endless ire in dread 
Succession follow wave ! and most wretched 
Beings curse their birth, — the scorching flames, — the 
Serpent's fangs, — his deadly coil, — their day of 
Grace expired, — their father's pray'r, — their mother's 
Tears, — their sister's kind reproof, — the blood of 
Jesus, — the groans of Calv'ry, — the wails of 
Gethsemane, — the Book of Life, and God who 
Their existence gave. Then comes a voice of 
Utter woe, saying "this is eternal death!" 
Thus the calid flames o'erspread the lake of 
Fire, such as the lost spirit only feels. 

In what consists, and where the justice of 
The sinner's doom ? AVhat forged his chains amid 
Those demons bound, and swelled those waves that roll 
In endless fire ? AVhat treason bar'd the gate 
Of Heav'n, — spurned the favor of God, — kindled 
His wrath, — drew scalding tears from victims lost, 
And chained them fast in Hell's eternal ire ? 
Let Dives tell, and God his truth confirm. 
His tongue was parched in flames, — for water he 
Cried in vain, — no telegraph conveyed his 
Admonition to those he loved on earth; — 
Mercy had fled, — the second death his doom. 
He looked on Time, which tells of endless weal 
Or woe to ev'ry son of Adam ; and 
He the jewel lost ! — worse ! for it wove his 
Last winding sheet, and made his grave in Hell. 
Eeflection stung his soul with guilt, — on what ? 
The Gospel, — the garden, — the cross, — the pray'rs 
Of God's loved ones, and resurrection of 
Jesus from the tomb. All these he spurned, — rushed 
On in folly's path, — despised the blood of 
His redemption, — the' cries of Gethsemane, 
And all the mercies of the Son of God. 
These are the darts that pierce his dying soul, 
And tell the justice of eternal pain. 



ON TIME AND IMMORTALITY. 453 

Horrible sight I — his day of grace expired ! — 
All Heav'n lost! Never again shall the sound 
Of redemption salute his ear, with crowns 
Of angels and the fruit of liife's fair Tree ! 
But his groans shall follow groan, as he sails 
In the barque that plo'ghs the red waves of fire, 
While God is Judge, and justice guards his throne. 

Jesus ! take the blood-bought sinner, — shake 
Him over Hell with eyes unveiled, ere the 
Gangrene of death shall end his probation ; 
And the bolts of endless perdition, bind 
Him fast in " the bottomless pit" of woe. 
Let arrows dipt in blood divine pierce his 
Heart, that he may die unto sin while there 
Is hope in the resurrection of his 
Soul, — believe in God, — live by faith, — pluck fruit 
Immortal, and scale the highlands of heav'n. 
If so, demons shall become his strangers, 
And saints his guests amid the thrones of light! — 
Hell shall lose his wails, — devils lament his 
AVeal, as he basks in the sunbeams of God, 
And swells the anthems of the blood-washed throng. 

But the fallen sons of Adam, void of 
The second birth, shall not die alone. A 
Higher order of revolting ones, that 
Stood first among the stars of light, in their 
Creation wore an angel's crown, — played on 
Golden harps, — like Gabriel and his train fed 
On seraphs' food, and with cherubs' wings swept 
The city of our God, shall share their doom. 
For them was Hell prepared ; but not for man. 
Marvel my soul ! that angels in their 
Creation pure, — the first born of Heav'n's sons, — 
Bearing the stamp of God, and by him crowned. 
Should with treason vile confirm their chains of 
Everlasting death. 'Twas done ! All Heav'n lost ! 
The door of Mercy closed ! and the prince of 
Darkness, with his fallen train, was bound for 
The judgment day. That day has come, a world 



454 bice's descant 

Assemble ! — the aliens of Grod appear ! — 
His flaming sword is unsheathed ! — his book of 
Records revealed ! and the revolting stars 
Of light hear his sentence, "Depart !" and with 
Those tears expiring angels weep, they sink 
To feed the flames of " everlasting fire !" 

At this great day of despair to the lost 
Sinner, the right'ous ascend to fields of 
Light. The Judge has declared their reward to 
Be " life eternal !" and they now receive 
It in the full glory of the upper 
Temple. They are clad in the drapery 
Of Heav'n, — have wings as angels, — sing the song 
Of Moses and the Lamb, — walk the golden 
Streets of Paradise, — triumph over the 
World, — pluck fruit immortal, — drink the waters 
Of everlasting life, — sec the purchase 
Of redeeming blood, — feel pain no more, and 
Shall never expire. While the lost millions 
That waded through a Saviour's blood to Hell, 
Utter their cries with Dives and Devils 
Damned, these angelic saints shall fly through the 
Midst of Heaven, saying " glory to God 
In the highest," for his Son hath redeemed 
Us from the " wrath that was, and is to come !**" 
As the mariner at sea, rocked amid 
The ocean's tempest, rejoices when he 
Enters the port of safety ; so the saint, 
After passing over the dangerous 
Sea of life, gives thanks to the Captain of 
Zion's ship, for his safe landing in Heav'n. 

Here stands the servant of the Lord, who once 
Appeared on Mount Moriah with his son 
Clothed in white, — with honored crown, — the purch? 
Of that Savior, bufi"eted in the streets 
Of the Jews. Lo the prophet, once in the 
Flaming bush, has bid his grave farewell, and 
Like an angel sings the song of rapture 
To the Lamb ; while Phar'oh, with his colleagues 



ON TIME AND IMMORTALITY. 455 

Deep in art, descends to feel those flames, lit 

Up by wrath divine. Here the blest Psalmist 

Stands with golden harp of angels' tune, to 

Chime that song a Savior bought when on the 

Cross he hung. Isaiah the prophet of the 

Lord, whose lips were touched with fire, shall sound no 

More the dread alarm on Zion's walls, and 

Be exposed to die ; but songs seraphic 

Move his soul with joy. Stephen, the'first martyr 

From our Savior's death, now reaps the harvest 

Of redeeming blood, — with Paul at whose feet 

His raiment lay. — inspired by light divine. 

Will join to praise that King who saves from dark 

Despair. Peter whose humble heart reversed 

His posture on the cross to that of his 

Dear Lord's, — sealed his pardon by his blood, now 

Basks in the sunbeams of celestial skies. 

From Palestine's infantile vaults, where the 

Mother's wail was born of dying groans, a 

Cloud of innocents appear, who on the 

Flight of speedy pinions, with unnumbered 

Since the fall, soar aloft to mansions far 

On high. Christians of all grades now join the 

Choirs above, — feast on angel's food, and chant 

On golden harps their King's undying crown. 

Again I rise, and view the martyred throng, 
Who sowed in tears while on the shores of Time. 
They watched and prayed, — hoped and feared, mid 

foes of 
Dangerous chase ; who sought their blood to spill, 
And take from them their well begotten crown. 
But with sure *' anchor, cast within the vail," 
And Captain skilled in life's revolving sea. 
They braved the tempest of the faggot's flame ;— 
The axe, — the rack, — the prison and the stake, 
In hope of mansions in a brighter sky. 
Their strife is o'er, — they died for martyrs' crowns 
To die no more. As their foes chime the dirge 
Of the lost, — fast bound in " the second death,'* 



456 rice's descant 

These loved ones rise higher, and still higher 
On pinions of golden hue, to vie with 
Cherubim of light, and pluck immortal 
Fruit from Life's fair Tree, bought by the bloody 
Sweat, and dying groans of the Son of God. 

I see another class of beings mid 
This mighty throng. Poor scavengers of earth, — 
Bearing burdens of grievous kind, to gain 
Their bread life's blood to feed. But their sorrows 
Have passed away, — their graves have given up 
Their dead, and their souls and bodies meet to 
Part no more. In chariots, borne by steeds 
Such as angels use, they sweep the streets of 
Gold, mid Heav'u's tow'rs of light, — view the Temple's 
Jasper walls, — the ambrosial city, — the 
Seraphim of God, — the fair Tree of Life, 
And all the glories free-born spirits feel. 
No more with friends they part ; — no more shall grieve 
To weep ; for their eyes have lost their tears mid 
Cherubs' lyres, and Heaven's eternal strain. 

Again my soul takes wing, — soars up the stream 
Of Time, — scans revolving ages, — surveys 
Transpiring scenes ; but one of wondrous 
Height, — surpassing numbers to compute ! 'tis 
Calvary's bleeding thief, — expiring mid 
The dying pangs of the Son of God. The 
Wonder tow'rs ! for it was the last hour of 
Grace when the cry " remember" was heard in 
His Savior's ear, — his soul saved from the pit, 
And borne on mercy's wings above the groans 
Of crucifixion to the Paradise of 
God. Amazing change ! One hour with the mob 
Keviling Christ ! — the next an heir of grace, — 
The friend of Jesus, — a native of the skies, — 
A songster of Heav'n to vie with angels 
In celestial strains, and swell redemption's 
Anthem on the supernal hills of light. 

Once more I gaze ! and lo a choir of saints 
On angels' steeds, with garments white, and harps 



ON TIME AND IMMORTALITY. 457 

Of gold, pass round the throne ; and with a song 
The ransomed spirits sing, give praise to Him 
Who sits thereon. These are they, who stood on 
Zion's walls mid earth's revolving sea, — braved 
The raging storm, — the darts of demons, — man's 
Incarnate foes, and sinners warned by truth 
And tears, to flee God's flaming "wrath to come." 
Their joy is now complete. Some speed in cars, 
Propelled by power supreme, — decked with crowns 
As blazing sons of God ; — some with wings in 
Golden fusion dipt, — glitt'ring in sunbeams 
As they sweep the skies. These are they that shine 
In courts of light as stars in heaven beam ; 
For by their zeal the lost with angels sing. 

But these Christians have just begun to live. 
Their course is onward, until they take the 
Flight of Gabriel, — with him wing the other 
Seas, — measure the fields of supernal bliss, — 
Scale the highlands of Heaven, — explore the 
Immensity of space, — Jerusalem 
Scan, — survey realms of the lost, — the serpent's 
Deadly coil, — the spirit's wail, — then upward 
Soar, and crop the flowers that bloom in Heav'n's 
Eternal spring on the elysian fields 
Of light. The Time will come, when the infant 
Soul in her progress, will have enjoyed more 
Than all the angels from their creation 
Down to the present hour. And at this point 
Human numbers fail to measure, she may 
Stretch her wings and follow the lost spirit 
Through ages of intense agony, — through 
Fires sufiicient to melt down revolving 
Worlds, and exclaim in her onward flight, " My 
Dlood-bought song has just begun." God ! save 
Us for this immortality of joy ! 

In those bright realms the sons of light are free. 
No more shall they distil their scalding tears, 
In view of their digression from the path, 
That leads from Time to Heaven's golden streets, 
38 



39 



458 rice's descant. 

And angels glitt'ring crowns. No more shall their 
Frail hearts in sunder break by death's strong grasp ;— ■ 
Tearing from them the objects of their choice, 
And blighting hope in earth's remorseless tomb. 
With them the scene of life is o'er, — their woes 
Exhausted ; — their probation ended ; — their 
Turmoil passed away ; and their expiring 
Groans exchanged for Heaven's eternal lyres. 

Ye sons of God, from death and Hell redeemed, 
Begin your endless song divine, praise the 
Lord in numbers Heav'n born ! and ye holy 
Angels swell the choir that surround his throne, 
And the notes of glory that tell for him. 
Who was and is, and shall remain the God 
Of praise by all the holy throng. Extol 
Him ! for he is life, — light, — beauty, — wisdom, — 
Mercy ! the uncreated, infinite 
Jehovah ! — the true God I — Creator and 
Governor of all! — the Omnipotent, 
Immutable Deity! — exhaustless 
Fountain ! — boundless affluence ! — sustainer 
Of Immortality ! — the greatest good ! — the 
Alpha and Omega ! — the all seeing, 
Hearing, and knowing God ! yet not seen, heard, 
Or known ! — above all glory, or deepest 
Thought ! — proprietor of eternity ! — 
Bliss without origin ! — glory in the 
Highest ! — the hope of Heav'n, and fear of Hell. 
Far back of chaos he built his holy 
Throne, ere the morning stars his praise began. 
He laid eternity's foundation deep ! — 
Gave all existence ! — on his golden throne 
Embossed, alone he wore his crown, beaming 
With light, such as eye shall not see and live. 
AVhat scales shall weigh Jehovah ? what numbers 
Compute his love, or flaming wrath revealed ? 
This is the being we call God, — the holy 
One, — plastic Father, — our eternal All ! — 
The source from whence we came, and where return !— 



ON TIME AND IMMORTALITY. 459 

Who made our souls, — bodies, — birds and beasts, — 

rills 
And oceans, — all things created, — sustains 
The universe, — holds the waves, — walks upon 
The winds ; — at whose dire nod thunders obey, — 
Fires enrage, — lightnings flash, and tempests howl. 

As sparks ascending from the smitten steel, 
The starry worlds from our Creator flew ; 
But like the dust that hovers o'er the scale, 
Have those bright tapers fallen in his blast ! 
Vast to create, nor in destruction less 
Is this our God who spans creation round. 
Praise him for his attributes, ye holy 
Sons of light ! and ye daughters of Zion 
Tune your harps ! — extol him above all kings ! 
Burn on Heav'n's altars fragrant incense of 
Eternal love ! — with hearts and voices swell 
The rapture of the new-born song I for he 
Has redeemed you from the fires of Hell, — 
Clothed you in garments white, — crowned your heads, 

and 
Made you kings and priests of God. Sing aloud ! 
Let your banners float o'er lost angels' waves. 
And Adam's race that died in unbelief. 
Sing, Death ! where is thy sting, where is thy 
Victory Grave ! give thanks to God, who gave 
You victory through Jesus Christ your Lord. 
Ye angels shout ! and loudest ye redeemed ! 
Glory to God the Savior ! to God the 
Father ! and God the Holy Ghost ! Amen. 

My mongrel song must ever fail to meet 

The finer touches of the poet's lyre; 
It has no rhyme, in prose is incomplete ; 

Yet sings God's mercy, and his flaming ire. 

Go and receive the critic's scourging hiss ; 

If he^ draws blood, thy truth shall be the same : 
By thee some skeptic may ascend to bliss, 

And swell the glory of Messiah's name. 



460 rice's poetry. 

Live, if thou canst, when baneful winds shall roar, 
And tell the wonders of redeeming grace ; 

Help the lost soul on faith's strong wings to soar, 
And spread that virtue which redeemed our race. 

My Descant fly, ere millions more be slain 
In battle field, or in the Serpent's band ; 

Then shall I feel thou wert not not made in vain, 
Whether in Time, or in the spirit land. 



SCENES OF MOUNT TABOR. 

What contrasts strange o'erspread our guilty world, 
Noon day and night, caused by our planet whirled, 
Stand less opposed than earthly scenes that pass 
In sundry forms through time's reflecting glass. 
Virtue and vice are walking side by side, 
The pauper's hut stands near the castle's pride. 
And Dives' chariot with its shining wheels, 
Throws dust on Laz'rus who starvation feels. 

Illness and health in the same mansion lie, 
Sorrow and gladness in one spirit vie ; 
The infant's cry and dying groans arise. 
While tears are falling from the mourner's eyes; 
The fun'ral throng tread closely on the heels 
Of bridal parties, in their nuptial weals ; 
Here joy and woe, here life and death conspire, 
To fill the world with glory and with ire. 

What strange events from the same spot appear' 
Where Ind'ans lived, the panther's tread to hear, 
Where forest trees with shades the lawn o'erspread. 
There stands New York, its living and its dead ! 
Where once was Tyre, the seas exalted queen. 
The surges roll, and fishermen are seen, 
Their nets to cast, where lucid waters spread 
Their curly waves o'er temples of the dead. 



rice's poetry. 461 

In fallen Edom is the foxes' den, 

And desert, sands sift o'er Palmyra's glen. 

The hooting owl, and winds of summer's night, 
Make sad their notes, where palace, hall and light, 
Once in their pow'r and full orbed glory shone. 
Where man a God revered, and gods of stone. 
In ancient Salem the vile Arab's scorn 
Is seen, as Christian pilgrims walk forlorn, 
With weary footsteps to their Master's grave, 
To worship Him who rose a world to save. 
The Muezzin's voice floats o'er the prophets' bones, 
While desert winds heap sand in their sad tones, 
O'er Asia's seven churches, long gone down, 
Mid death of queens and kings of mortal crown. 
Thus light and darkness, good and evil chase 
The world's vain phantoms to their last embrace. 
But lo ! a form upon Mount Tabor stood, 
The Frenchman's king, intensely bent on blood. 

Kleber's three thousand troops in combat sore. 
Now fight, where lances play and bullets pour. 
Nine times their number of a Turkish band, 
Whose horse and riders bow to kiss the sand. 
Their cannons' thunder make the earth to quake, 
And mortal wounds the dying victims shake. 
Round Kleber's square the Turkish troops appear, 
But balls of cannon from the French do steer, 
With death for thousands of their rushing foes, 
A scene that battle carnage only knows. 
From horse and riders sudden ramparts rise, 
By which the Turk is trembling with surprise. 

For six long hours did this fierce battle rage. 
And yet, both parties in the fight engage, 
Pour'd forth their death balls in their rapid flight, 
Which shut the eyes of thousands from the light I 
Yet fiercer still roU'd on death's rapid car. 
For on Mount Tabor sat their leading Star. 

At this melee, Napol'on's steady gaze. 
Beheld his army by their cannons' blaze ; 
His foes, vast squadrons, with their bugles' sound ! 
And sabres bright, to scatter death around ! 
*38 

•39 



462 rice's POETR.Y. 

The chaos of battle spread over the plain, 

Where thousands of warr'ors lay bleeding and slain. 

Napol'on now from Tabor's height descends, 
His cannon's thunder news to Kleber sends. 
He and his guard rush to the plains below, 
And in their wrath make sanguine streams to flow — 
Vanquish their foes, who in confusion flee 
To Jordan's stream for life and liberty. 
The slain and wounded trampled on the ground, 
Cause man to weep, if man on earth is found. 

They fled ! Murat was waiting for the flight, 
And with his tigers fresh commenced the fight ; 
As lions rage they sallied on their prey. 
And with their sabres drank hope's faintest ray! 
No mercy showed to that ill-fated band, 
Who fought to save Mahomet's promised land. 

Murat was nerved by many scenes of yore, 
Which made the streets of Salem run with gore ! 
Which to the cross nailed fast the Son of God I 
Sundered the vail. — made envy kiss the rod ! 
Caused the vile Jew to feel the Roman's spear, 
The spurning eye to drop the scalding tear ! 
The Heathen's voice the Christian's (iod to own. 
When the pure Ghost was from Christ's temple flown! 
Called saints to earth from Heav'u's ample height, 
To visit Tabor with celestial light, 
And mandate angels to disband the tomb. 
Where nature's God was held in nature's womb. 
When all these scenes in Murat's mind arose, 
He bowed the crescent with his bandit foes. 

Roll back my song, to ancient ages roll, 
On Tabor's summit take thy seat my soul ! 
With eager gaze view lakes and landscapes round. 
And weigh the seas of blood that stain the ground ! 
The sun seems bright as when at first it shone 
On Kleber's men, where Turks by death were strown! 
See Jordan's teeming waters wend their way. 
And Naz'reth smiling in merid'an day. 
'Twas on this Mount the brave Napol'on stood. 
And saw beneath his soldiers wade in blood : 



rice's poetry. 463 

Where Kleber's army, but three thousand strong, 
Drove from the field Mahomet's mighty throng : 
But still the Sar'cen banner is unfurled, 
Where once He stood, the Savior of the world. 

Again I look, and lo, how changed the scene ! 
There stands a man, the peaceful Nazarene, 
A God incarnate, whose effulgent face 
Illumes Mount Tabor with celestial grace. 
With Him are three, the chosen of his love, 
To whom appear two strangers from above. 
Servants of Grod, who long before had flown. 
To gather fruit hard by their Father's throne ; 
The friends of Him, from whom salvation came 
To ancient bards that loved Messiah's name. 
Mount Tabor's glory dims the human sight 
Of God's disciples by supernal light ! 
Beneath the cloud they greatly fear and quake, 
As Moses did when Sinai's Mount did shake ! 
They fall amazed in nature's feeble strife 
With God immortal, seen by mortal life. 
All terrene beauty is to them withdrawn ; 
No more they view Mount Carmel and the lawn ; 
No more behold the waves of Galilee, 
'Till waning light shall make their vision free. 

From holy ones, bright shining as the sun. 
On Tabor's height strange converse was begun ; 
Hard by the Lamb Moses the prophet spoke. 
Where soon Elias in sad accents broke, 
''As sent from God we on swift wings have flown. 
To meet his Son with notice from his throne." 
The theme rushed on, — the garden and the grave ! 
The sweat, the blood, the spear, the death to save. 
To save a world, whose guilt creation shook. 
Pure blood must spill free as the water brook. 
The Son replied "My Father's will be done; 
By sanguine streams the alien shall be won." 
These holy agents in their flight return. 
While words of fire their sainted bosoms burn ; 
And leave the Savior full of pensive gloom. 
To wend his way through tears to Joseph's tomb. 



464 rice's poetry. 

But who is this, that superhuman shines 
With Godlike grandeur in these earthly climes, 
And holds sweet converse with those shining ones, 
Whom angels call the Father's chosen sons ? 
Who, fills Mount Tabor with angelic light, 
So mortal man has failed to view the sight ? 
That voice did tell, which from the cloud descended, 
"This is my Son," before the Scene was ended. 

'Tis Mary's Son ! 'tis Naz'reth's Holy One ! 
A God incarnate for a world undone ! 
'Tis he, who in the rugged manger lay, 
To fill the world with songs of endless day I 
'Tis he, whose sandals meager pressed the dust 
Of Jewish streets, inspired with Jewish lust, 
To bear his message, for salvation born. 
To those lost ones, who spurned his love to scorn ! 
'Tis he, who stilled the waves of Galilee, 
And spoke the vile and weeping sinner free ! 
'Tis he who bid lost demons to depart, 
And fierce disease that rends the human heart ! 
'Tis he, who spoke and water blushed to wine. 
Who raised a Laz'rus from his mortal shrine ! 
Who dried the tear that wet the widow's eye, 
And healed the pensive mourner passing by ! 
'Tis he, who had not where to lay his head; 
Yet made the world and raised the sleeping dead ; 
Whose fiat stills the ocean's bounding wave. 
And saves the spirit from her gaping grave ! 
'Tis he, whose groans made earth's strong pillars shake, 
When mid-day darkness caused the earth to quake ! 
'Tis he, who cried upon the cross and died 
Before the spear plunged deep his bleeding side. 
But lo ! he burst the grisly tyrant's chain ! 
And on Mount Zion shall forever reign. 

How wide the contrast in those objects twain, 
Who stood on Tabor far above the plain : 
The first a God, in human nature shown. 
The next a man, whose sword the world must own ; 
Who spread destruction in his martial strife. 
And robbed the world of glory and of life ! 



rice's poetry. 465 

But no polluted touch can mar the site 
Where Jesus stood in God's effulgent light. 
Long shall Mount Tabor call the world to gaze 
On Christ transfigured, and the battle's blaze. 



ACROSTIC ON AVILLIAM SHAKSPEARE. 

W...here is the song confined to earth-born die, 
L.nspired with charms surpassing Shakspeare's rhyme? 

L...oud sounds his harp with echoes floating high ! 
L...it up by all the chequered scenes of time. 

I...ngenious poet ! so by nature's light ! 

A...nd more sublime by sundry springs of lore ! 
M...eet is thy verse, to cheer with sweet delight 

S...uch friends of time, as choose to gain no more, 

H...OW vain thy dramas in the halls of fate? 

A... verse to virtue, and her shining path ! 
K...nowledge supernal there shuts too her gate ! 

S...ecures her aliens for eternal wrath. 

P...oets have sung, yet var'ous are their songs ; 

E...ach product fraught for endless weal or woe ! 
A... name, on dying harps to some belongs ; 

R...edemption's theme on other harps shall flow. 

E...arth fledged thy fancy with its fleeting dreams! 

Thy song shall end with time's expiring flight I 
Oh ! had thy numbers more of Heaven's beams I 

Thy spirit more of God's redeeming light. 



THE NEGLECTED CEMETERY. 

As I passed through the marble field 
It caused the plaintive tear to fall, 



466 rice's poetry. 

Because its grave stones sadly reeled, 
And noxious brambles bid them all. 

I sought for some kind friends of yore 
Who in my youth were borne away ; 

But weeds and elders tall grew o'er 
The tombs wherein my kindred lay. 

My heart grew sick to view the scene, 

While death the preacher moved my soul ! 
I stood aghast in solemn mien. 

And failed my passions to control. 
Amazed I sighed ! is this the fate 

Of kindred, once so dear to all ? 
Must man pass through death's iron gate, 

And mem'ry's tribute cease to fall ? 

No ! let mementos deck the place 

Where rest the ashes of the dead ; 
Let worthy gems and laurels grace 

The hillocks rising o'er their bed. 
True, this cannot the dead avail ; 

For no device shall enter there ; 
But decent order should prevail 

Amid the graves of lone despair. 



TREASURES OF THE OCEAN. 

Vast Ocean deep, with caves and cells. 
What hollow sounds sweep thy domain^ 

What shining pearls and varied shells, 
In thy deep caverns do remain? 

O, keep thy treasures dismal sea ! 

We ask them not away from thee. 

Yet more, thy cells have wealth untold, 
In depths unfathomed silent lies I 

The sparkling gems, the shining gold, 
Long lost with crews in dying cries ! 



rice's poetry. 467 

Keep, keep thy spoils thou raging main ! 
We claim them not from thee again. 

More still, thy surging deeps possess ! 

O'er cities long thy waves have rolled ! 
Their mighty dead in thee do rest ! 

The weak and wise, the negro sold ! 
Rush on, ye sable waters spread 
Your billows o'er those ancient dead. 

Still more, these mighty depths have more, 
That sleep beneath their dashing waves ! 

From ev'ry land, from ev'ry shore, 

All kindred found your gaping graves ! 

Thou booming main, oft stained with red, 

Hold fast the chains that bind the dead. 

Hold fast, until that final hour, 

Foretold by Him who bowled the sea! 

The day of God's almighty pow'r, 

When earth and time no more shall be ! 

Then, then your dead shall loose their chains. 

And rise triumphant o'er the main. 

Then shall the saints of God appear. 
Bedecked with amaranths of Heav'n ! 

Exulting o'er the grave, draw near 
To Him, who has the vict'ry given ! 

Those loved ones, freed from death's strong band 

Shall wing the Holy Spirit's land. 



ACROSTIC ON THOMAS MOORE. 

T...uned was thy harp to move in Gentile strain, 
H.. .ceding a theme the carnal mind to please ; 

0...n love's vain song fraught with Mahomet's stain, 
M...ost graceful did thy fancy run with ease. 



468 rice's poetry. 

A...rt thou conteDt with bubbles of the wave, 

S...oft dreams of maidens, iu their morning glance ? 

M...ust thy new harp, ne'er touch a string to save 
0...'er Jordan's Waters, in the soul's advance? 

0...h! were thy numbers decked with brighter cast, 
K...eflecting light where Young and Milton soar; 

E...ndowed with grace, to make a rich repast, 

The goal of Heav'n, when time shall be no more. 



TO THE MEMORY OF WASHINGTON. 

Shall the name of Washington die in the breast 

Of the sons of his heroes slain ? 
Will they ever forget the Star of the West, 

And rivet their fetters again ? 
No ! when records of fame shall all fade away, 

This Star of all stars shall be seen; 
And liberty's glory shall shine from its ray, 

And mercy will flow from its sheen. 

Our Father was peaceful, nor envied the brave, 

As long as a green leaf remained ; 
But when stern oppression was forced by the knave, 

He fought like a tiger unchained. 
" To battle ! to battle ! " then loud was his cry, 

AVith falchion upraised by his hand ; 
He led forth his warr'ors to conquer or die,, 

And silenced the scourge of our land. 

He threw off the fetters, and ended the strife, 

So we had our charter restored ; 
Yet he plead for the day, when freedom and life 

Should live without death by the sword. 
He spurningly trod on the yoke of the slave, 

But mourned for the masses that bled ; 
He rose in his vengeance, — our country to save, 

But wept o'er the dying and dead. 



rice's poetry. 469 

Revere him, his sons ! for the good and the wise 

Of aliens have honored his name ; 
His laurels were perfect, and worthy his prize, 

So tell the true records of fame. 
Our Star as a beacon of glory shall stand, 

Surpassing the honors of Tell ; 
Nor shall it extinguish till time's latest sand 

Shall the world's last requium swell. 



THE MOURNER AND THE ANGELS. 

A Mourner of the fun'ral train, 
Distills his tears like drops of rain 

On the cold face ! 
" Thou art gone hence ! " I hear him cry, 
"And left me here to weep and die 

Without thy grace. 

" Thou art gone home ! no more to sing 
The song that made the woodlands ring 

With joyful sound ! 
Thy raven eyes shall never meet 
My gaze ! thy smiling visage sweet 

No more be found. 

" Thou art gone hence ! alas my grief! 
No friend of earth can give relief, — 

Thy form restore ! 
With thee is fled each pleasing flow'r, 
Thy music lost in one short hour, 

To be no more. 

*' Fairest of jewels ! hast thou fled, 
And art thou numbered with the dead, 

The dark unknown ? 
Yes, thou dost sleep beneath the sod, 
The victim of death's iron rod, 

In triumph shown." 
*39 

39i 



470 rice's poetry. 

** Thou art gone home ! " the Angels shout, 
" From Paradise no more cast out, 

To mourn and die ! 
Never to wear the robe of pain, 
Never to weep for captives slain, 

Nor heave a sigh. 

** Thou art gone home ! with seraphs blest ! 
Where could thy lovely heart find rest, 

In things below ? 
Thou must have seen earth's dreams decay, 
The blooming roses fade away. 

With eyes of woe. 

" Gone home !" I hear the Angels say, 

'• To shout God's praise with seraphs' lay,— 

No more to roam! 
Never to weep, and say farewell, 
Never to fear the grave's dark cell ! — 

Thou art gone home. 

'• Yes ! thou hast gained the final goal, 
Where living waters slake the soul, 

To thirst no more ! 
Fast by the Tree of Life on high, 
With countless millions thou shalt vie 

For Zion's lore." 



ACROSTIC ON JAMES MONTGOMERY. 

J...ust was the cause that moved thy pious heart, 
A...bove the world, to prize the saint's delight! — 

M...ost gladly did thy flaming soul impart, 
E...ternal wisdom from the fields of light. 

S...weet was thy rhyme to ev'ry Christian's ear; — 
M...ost worthy thy examples here below ; — 

0...n faith's strong wing, surmounted ev'ry fear ; 
N...or cried, too much, when sorrows' tears did flow. 



rice's poetry. 471 

T...ruth was the glory of thy blood-bought soul ! — 
G...reat was the theme that tuned thy sacred lyre ! 

0...n Calv'ry's cross thy anthems oft did roll, 
M...ade by salvation from thy Father's ire. 

E...ndowed with love, thy numbers long shall fly, 
R...evealing truth to every distant shore ; 

Y...ears through all time, thy song for God shall vie ; 
Nor shall it die when time shall be no more. 



THE DAMSEL'S PRAYER TO THE VIRGIN 
MARY. 

In the dark hours of night. 
Through sable woodlands, and the star-light gleams, 

And by the roaring sea, 
Holy mother I I plead thy spirit's beams. 

Ah ! thou didst once endure 
All the sad woes of earth's unfriendly clime; — 

Thou see'st my love and grief 
And flow'rs I bear unto thy holy shrine. 

Sad were the thoughts and groans. 
That rent thy heart, when thou wert here oppress'd; 

But thou didst learn to watch, 
And hush the raging of thy troubled breast. 

Thou Virgin spirit come ! 
And s I plough the waves of life's rough sea. 

Be thou my guiding star, 
To show my wand'ring barque the way to thee. 

A steamer floats the main. 
Bearing one from me o'er the raging deep; 

Sustain him on his course. 
And in thy hands his tender spirit keep. 



472 rice's poetry. 

My thoughts are on his way — 
My midnight visions hail his kind return ; 

But when the light appears, 
My dreams are buried in the silent urn. 

I fear that love's excess 
Has bound too strong the motion of my heart ; 

That I have prized too dear 
My brightest hopes, scarce leaving Heav'n a part. 

I tremble at the hour, 
When this idolatry shall end in woe ; 

My mother, call me home. 
And let me to my native kindred go. 

The toil of life's rough sea, 
And love's vain joy my wounded soul has known; 

All worn with care and strife. 
Would spread her wings to see Messiah's throne. 

Hark ! how the tempest sweeps ! 
Its voice comes rolling o'er the ocean's wave! 

Sustain the sailor's heart, 
Thy maiden's hope, blest mother, guide and save. 



HYMN TO FLOWERS. 

Ye morning stars ! bedecked with eyes to twinkle 

In rainbow beauties over earth's expanse, 
Your balmy dew-drops on her altars sprinkle 
In morn's advance. 

Ye pious Daughters ! often kneeling lowly 

Before the rising sun — God's flaming eye; 
Throw from your humble heart sweet incense holy, 
Far, far on high. 



rice's poetry. 473 

Ye geraed mosaics ! robed in nature's beauty, 
Which does the earth-born temple tesselate ; 
Transporting forms, void of scholastic duty, 
You do create. 

On bending twigs, every bell that swingeth 

Tolls its sweet odor on the balmy air. 
Calls praise from landscapes, and in kindness ringeth 
A call to pray'r ! 

Not to the fanes, where every arch is crumbling, 
Made by the weakness of some mortal hand ; 
But to that dome, inspired with char'ots rumbling 
At God's command ! 

To that cathedral, rich embossed with wonder, 

Whose sun and moon its burning lamps supply ; 
The waves and wind its choir — its music thunder, 
Its arch the sky. 

There, in amazing solitude I wander 

Through landscapes green, and dales where sages 
trod; 
Awed into silence, I devoutly ponder 
On works of God. 

Your lips, Flowers ! are our silent preachers, 

Each leaf an emblem of the Holy Book, 
Imparting wisdom without classic teachers, 
Free as the brook. 

Apostles fair ! glowing in morning splendor. 

Weeping and blushing without grief or crime ; 
let me learn full well, and not surrender 
Such lore sublime. 

" Solomon was not when in all his glory 

Arrayed," the lilies cry, " in robes like ours;" 
Aspire not then to fame, for transitory 
Are earth-bom Flow'rs. 



^39J 



474 rice's poetry. 

With thy golden pencil, supernal Artist! 

Thou didst adorn all nature's ample hall, 
That love's consoling lesson, thou impartest 
May be for all. 

Queen Flora's blossoms, all bedecked for pleasure, 

In richest bloom are waving day and night ; 
Your harmless beauties urge my soul to treasure 
Some pure delight. 

Ye fading Sages, with your wise instruction, 

Imparting such variety of thought : 
Each falling calyx, by death's introduction 
Is brought to nought. 

Life Posthumous ! seraphic-like collection. 

Made sure to rise from seed and bulb in earth ; 
Consoling type of future resurrection, 
Man's final birth. 

Father, were I on some dark shore remaining, 

Far from all teaching holy and divine, 
I soon would feel through Flow'rs of thy ordaining 
Thy favor mine. 

Nature's sweet Gems inspire my soul with glory, 

And by their light I hail ray Father's face ; 
These floral tribes corroborate my story, 
That God is grace. 

Flowers by millions, in their lustre shining. 

Spread by the lake, the valley and the plain. 
In silent concert praise the Lord combining, 
Without one stain. 

Then learn my soul, from such creative beauty. 

To know in part the wisdom of thy God ! 
And through this terrene march perform thy duty 
To shun his rod. 



rice's poetry. 476 

And when the archangel's loud trump shall thunder 
Through earth's vast regions, "time shall be no 
more!" 
And ev'ry floral type producing wonder, 
Shall end its lore ! 

In that last scene of Flowers, all departed, 

The saint shall flourish in immortal bloom ! 
Where life in God shall deck the broken-hearted 
Beyond the tomb. 



ACROSTIC ON THE EXIT OF LUTHER 
J. HOWE. 

L...onely tolls his funeral knell, 

U...shering in his plaintive dirge ! — 

T...he roaring waves that o'er him swell 

Have plunged him deep beneath their surge. 

E...ach mourner feels the loss to wail ! — 
Il...eflections move his friends to weep! — 

J...ordan's cold stream in frightful gale, 
H...as warned them of their final sleep. 

0...'er wife and children mercy's tears 

W...ere from his eyes constrained to flow! — 

E...ver their friend through gone by years; 
Confirmed with boons he did bestow. 



EUROPE'S DEAD. 

Awake, my soul awake. 

And touch the plaintive strain. 
Which makes the sons of Europe quake, 
And mourn for heroes slain ! 
Go, stranger ! search the ground 
Where ev'ry flag is spread, 
And see if one lone spot is found, 
Where rest not Europe's dead. 



476 rice's poetry. 

In Egypt's burning zone, 

Where palm trees yield no shade; 
W^here pyramids by age are strown, 
And flow'rs untimely fade ; 
Where the merid'an sun 
Appears in sanguine red; 
Unknown by those whose work is done !— 
There slumber Europe's dead. 

The lion's growl and roar, 
On Ganges' Heathen break ! 
The hurricanes from shore to shore, 
Make groves and hamlets quake ! 
But let these ills rush on, 
They have no pow'r of dread 
To those that from earth's toils have gone !- 
There slumber Europe's dead. 

On the Norwegian shore, 

And Iceland's piercing frost ; 
In Turkey and the Volga's roar. 
Where war'ors have been lost ; 
In France, Rome and Finland, 
And each seabeaten bed. 
Millions have fallen in death's band ! — 
So slumber Europe's dead. 

The rushing storms descend 
To flood the western vale ; 
They make Columbia's forests bend, 
And turn the white man pale ! 
But let the storm rush on, 
The living quake with dread, 
He will not fear whose work is done ! — 
There slumber Europe's dead. 

Borne on the briny wave, 
The ocean's dread expanse, 
The seamen icy mountains brave, 
And on the billows dance ! 



rice's poetry. 477 

But let the waves roll on, 
The deep blue oceans spread, 
The sailor's flag will soon be gone ! — 
There slumber Europe's dead. 

The sons of sea and field, 
And soldiers of the isles, 
Have long by death been made to yield. 
And form their fun'ral piles ! 
Go, stranger ! search the ground 
Where ev'ry flag is spread ! 
And see if one lone spot is found. 
Where rest not Europe's dead. 



SONG OF THE DEPARTED SPIRIT. 

My gentle dove ! I often see thee weep 

On life's rough sea ! — 
Thy track is on the rolling waters deep, — 

Mourning for me. 

My soul reflects upon those gushing tears, 

In pray'r we shed! 
Upon those days, and months, and fleeting years, 

Gone with the dead. 

Those early tears were not in vain my child; 

They 're kept in store 
By him, who wept, and trod earth's desert wild 

In days of yore. 

Fear not ! though sorrows fill thy gloomy path, 

They soon shall die ! — 
By faith, evade the wand'ring spirit's wrath, 

To shout on high. 



478 rice's poetry. 

My orphan child ! when in the rosy bow'rs, 

Or silent vale, 
There I am with thee ! and in midnight hours 

I hear thy wail. 

Thou art not lone ! thy mother's darting eye 

Beholds her dove, 
And that dark hour, when Mary saw her die 

For crowns above. 

Thou art not lone, when thy fond visions dream 

With upward glance, 
To view those regions, where kind stars do beam 

O'er night's expanse. 

Thou art not lone, when mournful strains do break 

On sorrows past ! 
When gushing tears, from thy soft eyes do make 

Their channels fast. 

Fairest of earth ! though often broken-hearted, 

Thy grief I see ! 
Stand on the Rock, and with my soul departed 

Thou soon shalt be. 



THE IRON HORSE. 

Huzza my boys ! make haste to see, 

The Iron Horse is passing ! 
Behold his race, and shout for glee, 

Nor fear the loafer's gasing ! 
Ye depot sons and daughters rise 

On tiptoe, — he is coming ! 
Let every eye drink in the prize, 

While his swift wheels are humming. 

Propelled by steam, he never tires, 
Nor feels life-blood expiring ; 

His speed sustained by calid fires, 
Keeps up without perspiring : 



kice's poetry. 479 

He puifs and blows, and belches smoke 

In all his frightful motion, 
Until his cargo feel the stroke 

Of death's untimely portion. 

Farmers, rejoice in this your day, 

With gold inspire your coffers ; 
For now's the time to clear the way, 

And hiss down ev'ry scoffer I 
Shout, shout for joy ! the crown is won! 

The road is strung with railings : — 
To some it has put out the sun ; 

Yet never mind their wailings. 

Hark ! hear Ben. Franklin's whistle sound! 

It strikes my ear like thunder ! 
For I have lost ten thousand pounds 

In that machine of plunder ! 
Urged on by fools, I fool became, 

Until my gold was scattered ; 
And with my fortune lost my fame ; — 

My coat and pants were tattered. 

I only have one comfort here, 

Which is the biter bitten ; 
With me he drops the scalding tear, 

With me his heart is smitten. 
This Horse remains a pleasing theme 

For ev'ry peasant's story, 
Because it stops the miser's dream, 

And levels all his glory. 



STAR OF THE EAST. 

Night flung its shades o'er Bethlehem, 
On which was seen each sparkling gem 

In lustre beaming there ! 
But lo a Star, before unknow»> 
Like flaming love on midnight shone, 

Embosomed in the air. 



480 rice's poetry. 

O'er Olive's trembling outline hung 
This flame whence brighter glory sprung 

Than ever silvered earth ! 
Were evr'y golden vesper dim, 
Thy light would roll its waves to him, 

Who gave salvation birth. 

The sages saw this Star of love 
AVand'ring below the arc above, 

Where planets gambol wild ! 
In haste they took their gifts to crown 
Their King, who brought such glory down, 

And blest the holy child. 

In brighter light the rad'ance glowed, 
When Mary to the wise men showed 

Her infant in the lair ! 
let my soul with shepherds bow, 
And to this Savior make my vow, 

And pay my homage there. 

ACROSTIC ON FELICIA HEMANS. 

F...rail child of woe ! to earthly sorrows born ! 
E...ach rose for thee retained a piercing thorn: 
L...ove moved thy heart with a returnless flame, 
I...nvokiug one, unworthy of thy name. 

C...omfort for thee, was not in earth-born ties; 
I...nvolved in sorrows, tears oft wet thine eyes : 
A... friend was sought, but guileless sought in vain; 
H...is vows fast bound thy adamantine chain. 

E...ach sting of earth, that pierced thy tender frame, 
M...ade thee resolve, to give to Heav'n thy name: 
A...bove earth's waves, thy faith in rapid flight, 
N... eared the rich Fountain of eternal light. 

S...ustained by grace, a native of the skies, 
And blood divine, thy new-born soul did rise ; 
Poured forth its numbers in their melting strain; 
Then left the world for Heaven's bright domain. 



rice's poetry. ' 481 

THE BRIDE'S VALEDICTION. 

Why do I mourn to leave the pleasant vine, 

Whose clusters wave around ? 
The fir, the ash, the elm, oh ! call them mine. 

And flow'rs from velvet ground. 
A thousand thoughts make sad my stricken heart 

Like surges of the deep, 
And tell that I with all these gems must part ! — 

Why, why shall I not weep ? 

Farewell my sister ! though we long have played 

In days and months of yore. 
Where the myrtle green, and the olive shade 

Were near the ocean's roar ! 
Yes, we have often by the silver streams, 

Where finny tribes did leap, 
Rejoiced ! but now are fled those morning dreams ! — 

Why, why shall I not weep ? 

I leave thee, brother ! though we kindly met 

In praise and fervent pray'r 
With mourners sad, where gushing tears did wet 

Our eyes in circles there ! 
Those tears were not in vain, — they all are kept 

By Him who does not sleep. 
By Him, who over Salem's daughters wept ! — 

AVhy, why shall I not weep ? 

I must leave thee, mother ! though on thy breast 

I poured my weal and woe ! 
Thy love to me has oft my spirit blest ; 

Yet I must shortly go ! 
Thy lips have lulled me with their evening strain, 

Thine eyes have watched my sleep ; ^ 

Such charms I ne'er expect to find again ! — 

Why, why shall I not weep ? 

I leave thee, father ! The merid'an sun 

Some other feet must guide. 
To tell thee thy refreshing meal is done. 

And waits thy welcome stride ! 
40 



482 rice's poetry. 

In thy kind heart, thy smiling child to bless, 

Lay golden treasures deep, 
Which on her mind have made their pure impress ! 

Why, why shall I not weep ? 



MATHEMATICAL PROBLEM. 

Just as the marriage knot was tied 

Between my bride and I, 
John said her age was twenty-five, 

This Mary did deny : 
But to confute the sad dispute, 

And sundry musings end, 
I'll give some items to compute, 

By enemy and friend. 

'Twas when her age was multiplied 

By three and three times three, 
It bore resemblance unto mine 

As you hereafter see ; 
Four one-fourth years to twenty-four 

Her age compared to mine ; 
So doubt no longer as before, — 

The problem now define. 

Ans. — Age Sixteen. 



A FUNERAL DIRGE. 

My harp once more awake, 

Thy mournful dirge impart, 
And for the mourners' sake, 
Console each bleeding heart ; 
Let all thy plaintive strains abound 
With healing balm for ev'ry wound. 



rice's poetry. 483 

Our elder brother born 

Long palsied by disease; 
With trembling frame forlorn 
He was deprived of ease ; 
His mind impaired, and feeble tread, 
Bore him along to join the dead. 

Sad was the warning given, — 

The fatal shock was sure ; 
His mortal frame was riven, — 
Death did his prey secure : 
No finite arm could longer save 
His temple from the gaping grave. 

Alone he cannot sleep 

In his cold, pulseless bed ; 
For eyes that o'er him weep 
Must number with the dead ! 
Nor they alone, — lost Adam's race 
Shall all be bound in death's embrace. 

But lo, an angel's voice 

Shall thunder from the skies, 
And make the dead rejoice 
That shall be first to rise ; 
His resurrection trump shall sound, 
And wake those pris'ners death has bound. 



ACROSTIC ON HENRY CLAY. 

H...e stood upon the mountain's height, 
E...nrolled among the great and proud; 

N...ear him was Webster in his might, 
R...evered as rainbows of the cloud. 



484 rice's poetry. 

Y...et still he took his seat on high, 
C.ontroUing lions, wont to rave; 

L...it up his tones of wrath to vie, 

A...nd save our land from error's grave. 

y...ears swelled his voice like bugle blast, 
Which stamped his fame on freedom's shore 

Like Washington his name shall last, 

" Till wheels of time shall roll no more." 



SARATOGA SPRINGS. 

On Saratoga's gushing springs 

The world with wonder gazes. 
Where friend his suffring kindred brings 

To sing their magic praises. 
From North to South, from East to West, 

They seek those min'ral w^aters ; 
And try what spring has virtues best 

To heal their sons and daughters. 

Not only those with illness, fast 

To this famed spot are rushing ; 
But sportsmen stamped with sundry cast, 

And cheeks in health full blushing. 
In Saratoga you may find 

The Christian and the dandy. 
And others of the gambling kind 

That drain the pock-ets handy. 

This sandy vill on earth's expanse, 

With all its gushing water, 
Fierce bites the man who loves to dance 

With fangs from ev'ry quarter. 
True, science here in glory reigns, 

And shows its chequered lustre ; 
While evergreens dot barren plains, 

And vines that seldom cluster. 



rice's poetry. 485 

iTes Saratog ! thy fame is spread 

For gaiety and pleasure ; 
But thou hast failed to raise the dead 

With all thy healing treasure. 
Here beaux and damsels do combine 

To light their flaming gases ; 
And maidens vain would fain outshine 

The more exalted lasses. 

Ye sighing sons of pain and grief, 

AVho by disease do languish ; 
These waters seldom give relief 

To pain and mortal anguish. 
They're cried above their healing pow'r 

By avaricious numbers ; 
For which the croakers gain a dow'r 

In all their gasy plunders. 

Could I the stars hold in my hand, 

And make the sun to tremble, 
Nations would not at my command 

Hard by these Springs assemble. 
Ye cripples all make long delay, 

Ye blithesome and old fogies. 
Beware the net, keep far away 

From gongs of Saratoga. 

Although your pockets greatly swell 

With current notes and silver, 
You'll have the doleful tale to tell, 

"They waned by modern pilfer." 
It may not be what law calls theft. 

Confirmed by statute pages ; 
But you will find unjust bereft 

By hounds of modern ages. 



THE NIGHTINGALE'S FAREWELL. 

Farewell, Farewell, ye wood-land groves 
Deep sighs my fainting heart ! 
*40 

40 



486 rice's poetry. 

The rose, the blooming rose is gone, 

And I will soon depart ; 
The glory of the forest trees 

Begins to feel the blast, 
The flowing rills have changed their tones, 

The days of summer past. 

The sun now lingers in the east 

Ere morning beams appear. 
And chilling frosts by northern winds 

My heart forestalls with fear ; 
I hear a mournful voice declare 

From ev'ry bough and wave. 
The fol'age, and the flow'r-cups all 

Must sink in autumn's grave. 

The swallow, red-breast, and the lark, 

Will soon have flown away ; 
The bee will to his hive return; — 

Why shall I longer stay ? 
Farewell, Farewell, ye wood-land groves, 

In pensive strains I sing ! 
I'll wing my flight 'till I shall find 

A more congen'al spring. 

I soon shall meet those fair lo\*ed ones 

That swell the glens with song, 
And hail the summer's cheering ray 

With all my native throng ! 
Alone I will not linger here 

To meet the freezing blast, 
Or see the leaves of autumn fall, 

Since days of hope are past. 

Upon the last warm southern breeze 

I'll make my rapid flight, 
Until I find the blooming rose, 

And fields of my delight ! 
Farewell, Farewell, ye woodland groves 

Exults my bounding heart ! 
I soon will reach my native zone, — 

With summer I'll depart. 



rice's poetry. 487 

THE CONDOR. 

Majestic bird ! thy potent wing 
Sweeps not with songsters of the spring, 

O'er earth's lone breast! 
Thy pinions bear thee far on high, 
To sail the bosom of the sky, 

And choose thy rest. 

The mountain's lofty peak is bare, 
No human foot has rested there ; 

But thou dost soar 
Above its summit; and the plain 
Long waits to hear thy wing in vain 

Swift rushing o'er. 

Thou art a king ! but where repose 
Thy wings at daylight's fading close ? 

In what lone night, 
Dost thou in silence and alone, 
Where sounds no voice or kindred tone. 

Suspend thy flight ? 

The confines of thy course no eye 
Has traced ; thy trackless path on high 

Is yet unknown ! 
The san thy piercing gaze may share, 
Amid the boundless realms of air, 

Where thou hast flown. 

Thou monarch ranger ! storms that shake 
Earth's temple, and make cities quake, 

Are far from thee ! 
Beyond the bolt, and lightning's gleam, 
Thou dost bask in the sun's bright beam 

On ether's sea. 

So the winged soul, with flight like thine, 
May sweep through realms where angel's shine. 
And spurn sin's pow'rs ! 



488 rice's poetrt. 

May soar where God's celestial light, 
Shall cheer the spirit with delight 
In Heaven's bow'rs. 



ACROSTIC ON GEOKGE G. N. BYRON. 

G... raced with those gifts kind nature could impart; 

E...ndowed with light from sundry founts of lore; 
0...'er land and sea thy fancied soul could dart ; 

R...egale on gems, — the starry worlds explore. 

G...reat was thy boon for time's poetic song; 

E...nrobed with genius, — born to fleeting fame: 
G...reece ne'er surpassed thee with its lettered throng; 

N...or had Rome sons that shone in brighter flame. 

B...ut thy sought themes, to earth-born fancy bound, 
Y...ield no repast to hopes ascending flight! 

R...eceive no treasures on Mount Calv'ry found ' — 
0...n baneful wings exclude eternal light. 

N...ews from the Savior did not move thy soul; 

The world involved the mainspring of thy heart : 
O'er Jordan's waves thy numbers failed to roll, 

And tell mankind salvation's healing art. 



CHRIST STILLING THE TEMPEST 

Hark ! hear the billows' raging strife, 

See how they lash the shore ! 
The thunders roar, the lightnings gleam, 

And the proud eagle soars ! 

The clouds' dark wings, like midnight's pall, 

Spread o'er the foaming deep ! 
And raging winds in fearful blast, 

Do the blue waters sweep. 



RICE'S POETRY. 

Chorazin's watch-light from afar, 

Appears in feeble sheen ; 
While vivid lightnings rend the air 

In all their frightful mien ! 

Like spectres rising from the earth, 
Are seen Mount Tabor's form 

And tow'rs of old Capernaum, 
Where drives the raging storm. 

The clouds spread terror as they roar, 

The thunders shake the sky, 
While man bewails like demons dire, 

Who can but weep and sigh ! 

On billows dread the bounding barque 
Still ploughs the raging deep ! 

But hark ! I hear the frantic cry, 
" Master, why dost thou sleep ?" 

He rose and stood upon the deck I — 

A God shone on his brow I 
The storm was hushed at his command, 

And to his will did bow I 

The winds obeyed that voice, — "Be still!' 

And in deep silence fell ; 
The clouds in which the lightnings shone, 

Dispersed in peace to dwell. 

God of the storm ! before thy face 

The raging Tempests bow ! 
And bounding waves in rev'rence fall, 

To pay their silent vow ! 

So breathe upon the heart of man. 

His sinful passions tame ; 
Let saving pow'r his soul inspire. 

To glorify thy name. 



►40 



490 rice's poetry. 

THE EFFECTS OF TIME. 

I saw a green sequestered vale, 

From which a stream was ever gushing , 

Its rippling tide passed through the dale, 
With crystal waters onward rushing. 

Like Time, the rill flowed swift along 
To mingle with the briny ocean ; 

And all that graced its native song, 
Lay buried in the waves' commotion. 

I saw upon the banks of Nile 

Huge pyramids their heads upreariug ; 

The cloud-capt tow'rs of ancient style, 
And marble tombs with grace appearing. 

I saw old Pompey brave the storm, 

With tow'ring height and gorgeous column; 

The Jewish Temple's lofty form. 

With Salem's minstrels, grave and solemn. 

Again I sought those towTs of yore; 

But ah ! how little of them lingers, 
For Salem's walls are seen no more, 

They fell by Time's destroying fingers. 

And where is Athens ? where is Pvome ? 

And Greece, that shone in classic story ? 
And where is Balbec's lofty dome? 

Time touched them, and they lost their glory. 

Where now are Bab'lon's mighty walls. 
And Sodom with its vile pollution ? 

And where Gomorrah's splendid halls, 
And maids of virtue's destitution ? 

They fell beneath the curse of time. 

Long gone to rest in dreamless slumber ; 

Like Babel's tow'r once held sublime. 
With things that were they only number. 



rice's poetry. 4^1 

Beware, man ! of this beware ! 

Thy days on earth are nought but fleeting; 
The rust of Time thy barque must share; 

Yet thy lone spirit may have greeting. 

Come, let thy plaintive soul arise 
Upon the flight of eagles' pinions ; 

And view earth's ruins from the skies, 

When thou shalt soar to Christ's dominions. 



ACROSTIC ON GEOKGE D. PRENTICE. 

G...ems from thy pen disperse our midnight gloom! 

E...xtend thy fame with eagle flight afar ! — 
0...n " Henry Clay" thy numbers long shall bloom, 

R...eflecting love from ev'ry morning star. 

Gr...reat is thy rhyme ! Thy lyrics oft have flown ; — 
E...ndowed with strength, which proves them giant 
born ! 

D...ear is thy name where thy rich verse is strown ! — 
P...ure are thy precepts, which the world adorn. 

R...ush on thy descant of the " Closing Year;" — 
E...xtol the "Cave" where thy deep numbers rolled: 

N...erve up thy soul ! for thunders shook with fear 
T...he man that through the yawning cavern strolled. 

I...ndu]gent friend ! still may thy lyrics fly, 
C.onstrain the world true Wisdom to adore : 

E...ach number then shall calm the raging sigh, 
And waft the spirit to its native shore. 



THE POET'S GRAVE. 

Here lies the man, whose numbers flow 
O'er Jordan's raging stream; 

Which brought the woes of Hell to view, 
And Heav'n's eternal beam. 



492 rice's poetry. 

CAMBRIDGIE WOODLANDS CEMETERY. 

As I passed through the marble field, 
Late purchased for the dead ; 

Revolving thoughts to me revealed 
Life's dreams would soon be fled. 

Here fifteen acres are enclosed 

By pickets, posts and rails: 
Where Northern wind that often blows, 

Is felt in feeble gales. 

From North White creek two hundred rods, 

This Cemetery lies ; — 
The stranger here his way soon plods, 

To satiate his eyes. 

'Tis bounded on the turnpike East ; 

Has roads of winding grade, 
With lots all numbered, once at least. 

On plots surveyors made. 

From here a view of Cambridge vill 

Is held in prospect fair ; 
And waters of that curly rill, 

That pass through lands of Blair 

Six churches, with their domes and spires, 
From these Woodlands are seen ; 

And village lamps from ker'sene fires. 
That burn for evening sheen. 

The iron horse of matchless flight 

Is seen to sweep the vale, 
With flaming lamp of gushing light, 

To shine upon the trail. 

The distant lawns of nature's face. 

Here meet the gazer's eye ; 
And domicils of sundry grace, 

And vales and mountains high. 



rice's poetry. 493 

While here, thought I, on this lone ground, 
Comprised of hill and dale ; 
And arbor, numbers shall be found, 
That now the breeze inhale. 

The rich and poor by death shall fall, 

And feel their pangs severe ; 
The infant small and giant tall, 

Alike shall slumber here. 

Mid shade and vale, and summit height, 

Shall marble slabs arise ; 
And monuments of granite white, 

Point where each sleeper lies. 

Oft shall kind mourners seek this place, 
Where some dear friend is laid ; 

And with their tears the hillocks grace, 
Beneath the willows' shade. 

Age upon age shall pass away, 
And fill this sacred spot ; 
Yet still in some far distant day 
I This place may be forgot. 

May sons and daughters yet unborn, 

Be grateful to those men ; 
Who chose with care this rural lawn, 

Hard by Old Cambridge glen. 



ACROSTIC ON WILLIAM C. BRYANT. 

W...here lives the man this country born, 
I...nspired with Bryant's lyric skill? 

L...oud sounds his harp ! though env'ous scorn 
L...it up the torch his verse to kill. 
41 



494 rice's poetry. 

I...ndulgent poet, thou dost sing 

A. ..strain of nature's weal and woe: 

M...id friends and foes thy numbers bring 
C.ommending wisdom, as they flow. 

B...orne on the wings of deathless fame, 
R...ich hymns are issued from thy pen ;- 

Y...oung men and maidens loud proclaim, 
A...nd hail thy royal diadem. 

N...0 man has yet outweighed thy strain 
T...inged by the blood of freedom's son; 

Thy song shall kiss earth's broad domain 
As long as gushing fountains run. 



GOD'S x\NGELIC MESSENGERS. 

Are ye to your skies departed ? 

Will you visit earth no more ? 
Ye, whose wings in splendor darted 

Eden's groves in days of yore. 
No ! ye have not man forsaken, 

Though from God he's gone astray ! 
Ye have Heaven's message taken, 

Which imparts eternal day. 

From your fulgent wings descending. 

Light awoke the sleeper's eye! 
On hope's Ladder, faith ascending, 

Caused your flight from worlds on high. 
When in Jordnn's waters healing, 

The baptismal act was done ! 
You from courts of God revealing, 

Loud proclaimed " This is my Son !'* 



rice's poetry. 495 

When the Savior's blood was falling, 

Fast by Kedron's flowing stream ; 
And his sorrows most appalling, 

You displayed angelic beam. 
Yet once more you left your dwelling, 

Broke the seal of Joseph's tomb I 
There to friendly weepers telling, 

" Jesus burst death's silent gloom !" 

When on Olives' Mount, the Savior 

Left this world for brighter skies ; 
You in words of holy favor 

Dried the tears of weeping eyes. 
While God's servant was in prison, 

Fast between the soldiers bound ; 
By your aid and piercing vision, 

Duors were opened, — he unbound. 

Still methinks on us you're gazing, 

Fraught with wonder, love and grace; 
Bearing us in char'ots blazing, 

Onward to our Savior's face. 
Watch us when life's scene is ending, 

Save us from our Father's rod ' 
And on mercy's wings ascending, 

Bear our spirits home to God. 



THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH. 

Ye lofty hills, lift up your heads. 

And portals of the sea, give way ! 
Ye lightnings from your azure beds, 

And oceans with your foaming spray ! 
Ye winds that sweep the raging main. 

And forests with your plaintive song ! 
Come join Niag'ra's trembling strain, 

And warbling rills the vales along. 
To hail the birth of the Atlantic chain! 



496 rice's poetry. 

Let all the world as one unite, 

To sing the glory of this day ! 
Since the Atlantic in its might, 

Has to its victor fell a prey ! 
A Cyrus new with Titan chain, 

Has bound the captive at his will ! 
Not by the blood of thousands slain, 

Or God's command of " Peace, be still!" 
But by the product of B. Morse's skill ! 

All nations now with joy arise, 

And Telegraph from shore to shore ; 
They hail the cord with smiling eyes, 

Deep laid beneath the ocean's roar? 
Our Stars and England now commune, 

As friends converse with friend or foe; 
No more they wait to pitch their tune, 

But strike at once their deadly blow. 
Or graut the kindest news earth can bestow ! 

In our New World this light was born, 

Yet deigns to shed its beams afar ; 
Then why should nations, once forlorn, 

Ptefuse to hail this morning star ? 
May this vast cord, beneath the waves, 

Long bind the Old World with the New ; 
'Till wars shall cease, and peace that saves 

Teach man its precepts to pursue ; — 
Then to the lost shall Heav'n appear in view. 

The kings and queens of distant shores, 

Extend their palms our hands to meet; — 
As long as the Atlantic roars. 

May we thus learn our friends to greet ? 
This bird of Paradise shall fly, 

Laden with news of joy and pain ; 
Shall sweep through kingdoms far and nigh, 

'Till God restore lost Eden's plain, 
And love supreme shall fill earth's broad domain ? 



INDEX. 



ORATIONS. Page. 

Introduction, 3 

On Intemperance, 6 

On War, 25 

On the Atonement, 65 

On Christ's Second Advent, 75 

On Slavery, 105 

Missionary Call, 116 

On Autumn's Fading Glory, 126 

The Devil's Preaching, 131 

The Author's Faith, 142 

Messiah's Kingdom, 396 

POETRY. 

All Things Mortal, 189 

Adoration and Prayer, 169 

Appeal for Missions, 192 

Acrostic on J. N. Maffit, 220 

John Summerfield, 221 

George Whitefield, 227 

Henry B. Bascom, 232 

Lydia H. Sigourney, 233 

Lorenzo Dow, 252 

Sir Isaac Newton, 258 

Edward D. Griffin, 268 

Eliphalet Nott, 271 

John Milton, 292 

John Knox Shaw, 366 

William Shakspeare, 465 

Thomas Moore, 467 

James Montgomery, 470 

The Exit of Luther J. Howe, 475 

Orra Rice, 147 

Felicia Hemans, 480 

Henry Clay, ^ 483 

George G. N. Byron, 488 

George D. Prentice, 491 

William C. Bryant, 493 



41 



498 



Address to the Youth, 261 

Acrostic for a Brother, 265 

Adams Fall and Restoration, 263 

A Morning Hymn, 277 

An Evening Hymn, 278 

Atheism Confuted, 285 

Angels Bear me Home, 301 

American Liberty, 330 

Assurance of Heaven, 381 

A Funeral Dirge, 482 

Brotherly Love, 388 

Christ's Invitation to Sinners, 174 

Convulsions of Nature, 197 

Christ s Resurrection, 200 

Come to the Waters, 205 

Christs Crucifixion, 248 

Christ's Agony in the Garden, 260 

Christ's Death and Resurrection, 326 

Charity, 288 

Caution to the Reader, 301 

Comfort in Death, 306 

Christian Friendship, 312 

Children should Love each other, 313 

Christ Stilling the Tempest, 488 

Cambridge Woodlands Cemetery, 492 

Death, 172 

Destruction by Time, 193 

Destruction of Sodom, 251 

Decision of the Judge, 275 

Darkness Shrouds Jerusalem, 312 

Death of John Quiney Adams, 338 

Death of Harrison, 366 

Death in the Sabbath School, 374 

Descant on Time and Immortality, « 416 

Epitaph, 271 

Envy the Foulest Whelp of Sin, 376 

Europe 's Dead, 475 

Free Grace, 208 

Faith, 223 

Faith is our Guide, 314 

Farewell, Sarah, 371 

God, 144 

God is Love, 186 

God Manifest in the Flesh, 224 

God's Omnipresence, 228 

Grieve not thy Mother, 229 

God the Everlasting Light, 239 

God Rules the Ocean, 252 



499 



God's Omniscience, 272 

God my Refuge in Distress, 279 

God Seen in the Oceans, 283 

God Worthy of Praise, 307 

God"s Omnipotence, 384 

Gods Angelic Messengers, 494 

" Glad Tidings," 331 

Honor thy Father, 233 

Hymn of Praise, 273 

He gave up the Ghost, 343 

Hope, 361 

Harriet's Acrostic, 373 

Hymn to Flowers, 472 

I will not let Thee Go, 148 

It is well, 202 

I am AVith You, 209 

In God is my Salvation, 295 

" I am the Resurrection and the Life," 322 

Invitation Hymn, 329 

Jesus Wept over Jerusalem, 184 

Jordan's Cold Stream-, 195 

Jesus' Love Stronger than Death, 198 

Jesus, the Star of Eternity, 225 

Jesus, the Crown of my Hope, 242 

Jesus our Hope in Affliction, 276 

'♦' Jesus," 315 

*' Jesus Wept," 322 

Jesus the Refuge from the Tempest, 380 

Jesus Died for Me, 392 • 

Juliza, the Adopted Orphan, 332 

Lord Remember Mc, 165 

Love Saves the Sinner, 294 

Love Stronger than Death, 334 

Life Temporal and Eternal, 369 

Missionary Hymn, 151 

Mans Life Passeth Away, 167 

Mourning Pilgrims, 175 

MeComb and McDonald's Victory, 244 

My Mothers Exit, 258 

My Birth Day, 315 

Messiah', 340 

My Sister's Exit, 348 

My Father's Exit, 351 

Ministration of Angels, 234 

Mathematical Problem, 482 

Noah's Dove, 199 

No Rest on Earth, 280 

None but Jesus, 325 



500 

On Spring, 222 

On the Death of a Relative, 249 

On the Death of my Daughter, 253 

On the Death of Sophia B. Hubbard, 344 

Poetical Introduction, 143 

Prayer for Restoring Grace, 173 

Proof of God's Existence, 173 

Petition for Peace, 216 

Pardoning Grace, 226 

Peace, Be Still, 240 

Prayer in Sickness, 266 

Perils of the Ocean, 269 

Prayer for Salvation, 281 

Prayer in Affliction, 293 

Prayer, 310 

^' Praise the Lord," 325 

Praise for Redemption, 389 

Peace of Conscience in Affliction, 393 

Regeneration, 170 

Retrospection, 181 

Rejoicing of Angels, 210 

Religion, 217 

Redemption, 343 

Resurrection and Judgment, 174 

Rosannah's Exit, 373 

Seeking God Early, 147 

Saints Around the Throne, 176 

Salvation by the Cross, 191 

Spiritual Worship, 263 

Shall the Sword Devour Forever ? 274 

Salvation by the Gospel, 276 

Spurn not the Sinner, 287 

Song of the Redeemed, 292 

Sabbath Morning Hymn, 317 

Scenes of Mount Tabor, 460 

Song of the Departed Spirit, 477 

Saratoga Springs, 484 

Star of the East, 479 

The Final Wreck of Worlds, 150 

The Colporteur's Message, 153 

The Christian's Hope of Heaven, 155 

The Final Judgment, . 156 

The Farmer's Consolation, 157 

The Christian Martyr, 160 

The Temperance Flag, 169 

The Laborer's Lamentation, 166 

The Flowers of the Field, 162 

The Power of the Gospel, 163 

The Mother's Twin Sisters, 164 

The Magnetic Telegraph, 177 



501 

The Spirit's Ascension, 180 

The Judgment Day, 183 

The Saint^s Victory, 185 

The Crucified, 188. 

The Promontory of Life, 189 

The Last Supper, 190 

The Millennium, 194 

The Scenes of Calvary, 196 

The Organization of Worlds, 201 

The Star of Bethlehem, 204 

The Favor of God, 206 

The Victor from Edom, 209 

The Ruins of Canaan, 211 

The Rod, 212 

The Rock in Mid Ocean, 214 

The Loafer's Lamentation, 215 

The Sepulchre, 218 

The Bliss of Heaven, 219 

The Joys of Heaven, 221 

The Author's Acrostic in Prayer, 230 

The Curse of War, 230 

The Backslider's Return, 234 

The Love of God, 235 

The Falls of Niagara, 236 

The Saint's View of Heaven, 237 

The Penitent's Prayer, 243 

The Curse of the Law, 249 

The God of the Tempest, 250 

The Sailor Boy, 256 

The Dying Christian, 264 

The Land of the Free, 267 

The Frantic Lover in Search of a Wife, 270 

The Only True God, 273 

The Grave, 280 

The Mourner's Petition, 282 

The Sinner's Prayer for Salvation, 284 

The Christian Pilgrim, 289 

The Temperance Strain, 290 

The Dying Son's Petition, 291 

The Waters of Salvation, 392 

The Beggar's Lamentation, 296 

The Better Choice, 298 

The Battle Field, 399 

The Sabbath School, 300 

The Warrior's Death, 304 

The Crowns of Heaven, 305 

The Power of God, 306 

The Mental Powers of Man, 309 

The Lord's Prayer Versified, 316 

The Christian's Farewell, 317 

The Day of Grace, 318 

The Gold of California, 319 

The Backslider's Secret Prayer, 321 

The Righteousness of Christ, 324 



602 

The Christian Warfare, 327 

The World Banished for Christ, 327 

The Blood of Jesus, - 328 

The Angel Binding Beelzebub, 341 

The Dying Sinner, 342 

The Drunkard's Epitaph, 342 

The Spirit's Grave, 344 

The Ascension of the Son of God, 346 

The Wreck of the Steamer Swallow, 352 

The Mother's Departure, 353 

The Last Great Day, 355 

The Last Decision, 357 

The Sin of Intemperance, 363 

The Destroying Angel, 364 

The Cholera, 367 

The Final Doomsday, 371 

Thoughts of Heaven, 377 

To the Drunkard's Memory, 168 

To an Absent Wife, 240 

To the Memory of Dr. Young, 255 

To the Memory of Robert Pollok, 257 

Time and Immortality, 297 

Terrors of Death, 308 

Time's Destroying Flight, 335 

Truth and Universalism Contrasted, 358 

The Past and Future, 379 

Time Shall be no Longer, 382 

The Stranger Greeting America, 383 

The Excellence of Christ, 385 

The Judge on his Throne, 385 

The Rock Christ Jesus, 386 

The Death of Zachary Taylor, 393 

The Bride's Misery, 390 

The New Jerusalem, 391 

The Time of Death, 387 

The Neglected Cemetery, 465 

Treasures of the Ocean, 466 

To the Memory of Washington, 468 

The Mourner and the Angels, 469 

The Damsel's Prayer to the Virgin Mary, 471 

The Iron Horse, 478 

The Bride's Valediction, 481 

The Nightingale's Farewell, 485 

The Condor, 487 

The Effects of Time, 490 

The Poet's Grave, 491 

The Atlantic Telegraph, 495 

Washington's Funeral Dirge, * 152 

What is Man? 179 

What Man was That ? 302 

What is Hell? 311 

Watch and Pray, - 321 



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